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25 Irresistible Beach Reads For Summer 2024
As book lovers, we all just want to read without worrying about anything, and I think summer days are a lot like that.
With longer days and warmer nights, we tend to read one book after another. So, if you’re planning on a week-long holiday or planning to spend time reading by the pool, check out this charming list of beach reads. I’ve included books coming out in summer 2024, featuring many popular authors and a few new ones.
Also read: debut novels of 2024, steamy beach read for 2024.
Summers at the Saint by Mary Kay Andrews
What is it about: Traci Eddings, once an outsider, is now the widowed owner of St. Cecelia, a landmark hotel. Now she is determined to restore its former glory. Facing financial troubles and a scheming brother-in-law, Traci enlists a new summer crew, including her estranged best friend’s daughter. Traci’s journey is filled with trials, but with humor, resilience, and unexpected romance, she fights to save the Saint and rediscover herself.
Welcome to the St. Cecelia, a landmark hotel on the coast of Georgia, where traditions run deep and scandals run even deeper. Everyone refers to the St. Cecelia as “the Saint.” If you grew up coming here, you were “a Saint.” If you came from the wrong side of the river, you were “an Ain’t.” Traci Eddings was one of those outsiders whose family wasn’t rich enough or connected enough to vacation here. But she could work here. One fateful summer she did, and married the boss’s son. Now, she’s the widowed owner of the hotel, determined to see it return to its glory days, even as staff shortages and financial troubles threaten to ruin it. Plus, her greedy and unscrupulous brother-in-law wants to make sure she fails. Enlisting a motley crew of recently hired summer help—including the daughter of her estranged best friend—Traci has one summer season to turn it around. But new information about a long-ago drowning at the hotel threatens to come to light, and the tragic death of one of their own brings Traci to the brink of despair.
Traci Eddings has her back against the pink-painted wall of this beloved institution. And it will take all the wits and guts she has to see wrongs put to right, to see guilty parties put in their place, and maybe even to find a new romance along the way. Told with Mary Kay Andrew’s warmth, humor, knack for twists, and eye for delicious detail about human nature, Summers at the Saint is a beach read with depth and heart.
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Funny Story by Emily Henry
What is it about: In this charming novel, Daphne’s life takes an unexpected turn when her fiancé, Peter, leaves her for his childhood best friend, Petra. Stranded in Waning Bay, Michigan, with a dream job that barely pays, Daphne ends up rooming with Petra’s ex, Miles. Despite being polar opposites, Daphne and Miles form a unique bond. Their fake summer adventures on social media blur the lines between pretense and reality, leading Daphne to question if starting anew might mean falling for the last person she expected.
A shimmering, joyful new novel about a pair of opposites with the wrong thing in common.
Daphne always loved the way her fiancé Peter told their story. How they met (on a blustery day), fell in love (over an errant hat), and moved back to his lakeside hometown to begin their life together. He really was good at telling it…right up until the moment he realized he was actually in love with his childhood best friend Petra.
Which is how Daphne begins her new story: Stranded in beautiful Waning Bay, Michigan, without friends or family but with a dream job as a children’s librarian (that barely pays the bills), and proposing to be roommates with the only person who could possibly understand her predicament: Petra’s ex, Miles Nowak.
Scruffy and chaotic—with a penchant for taking solace in the sounds of heart break love ballads—Miles is exactly the opposite of practical, buttoned up Daphne, whose coworkers know so little about her they have a running bet that she’s either FBI or in witness protection. The roommates mainly avoid one another, until one day, while drowning their sorrows, they form a tenuous friendship and a plan. If said plan also involves posting deliberately misleading photos of their summer adventures together, well, who could blame them?
But it’s all just for show, of course, because there’s no way Daphne would actually start her new chapter by falling in love with her ex-fiancé’s new fiancée’s ex…right?
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Expiration Dates by Rebecca Serle
What is it about: Daphne Bell trusts the universe’s plan, marked by slips of paper predicting the duration of her relationships. After years of following these notes, she meets Jake, whose slip lacks an expiration date. As their romance unfolds, Daphne grapples with hidden truths that could shatter Jake’s heart. Rebecca Serle’s novel is a poignant exploration of love, destiny, and honesty, wrapped in her signature warmth.
Being single is like playing the lottery. There’s always the chance that with one piece of paper you could win it all.
From the New York Times bestselling author of In Five Years and One Italian Summer comes the romance that will define a generation.
Daphne Bell believes the universe has a plan for her. Every time she meets a new man, she receives a slip of paper with his name and a number on it—the exact amount of time they will be together. The papers told her she’d spend three days with Martin in Paris; five weeks with Noah in San Francisco; and three months with Hugo, her ex-boyfriend turned best friend. Daphne has been receiving the numbered papers for over twenty years, always wondering when there might be one without an expiration. Finally, the night of a blind date at her favorite Los Angeles restaurant, there’s only a name: Jake.
But as Jake and Daphne’s story unfolds, Daphne finds herself doubting the paper’s prediction, and wrestling with what it means to be both committed and truthful. Because Daphne knows things Jake doesn’t, information that—if he found out—would break his heart.
Told with her signature warmth and insight into matters of the heart, Rebecca Serle has finally set her sights on romantic love. The result is a gripping, emotional, passionate, and (yes) heartbreaking novel about what it means to be single, what it means to find love, and ultimately how we define each of them for ourselves. Expiration Dates is the one fans have been waiting for.
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Hot Summer by Elle Everhart
What is it about: Cas Morgan, a longtime fan of the dating show Hot Summer, unexpectedly becomes a contestant with a career-boosting promotion on the line. But her plans are upended when she meets Ada, a fellow contestant who captures her heart. Torn between her strategy and burgeoning feelings, Cas navigates the reality show’s drama while exploring a new romance.
This summer, things are about to heat up. Cas Morgan has spent years of her life watching Hot Summer, the hit dating show that pairs together a bunch of sexy singles in an exotic island location. But she never quite thought she’d be a part of it, until her company secures a partnership with the show and Cas is handpicked as a contestant. If she does well and makes it to the finals, her long-awaited promotion will be secure. Cas is ready to spend the summer trying to win over the voting public. But just as she steps into the villa, her entire plan goes off course. She’s instantly smitten with fellow contestant, Ada. Ada is gorgeous and charming. As Cas’s feelings for Ada become undeniable, she’s torn between listening to her heart or sticking to her strategy.
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15 Summers Later by RaeAnne Thayne
What is it about: Ava Howell’s seemingly perfect life crumbles when a secret from her past drives her husband away. Returning to her hometown of Emerald Creek, Ava reconnects with her sister Madison, who runs a no-kill animal shelter. As they confront their shared traumatic past and navigate new challenges, both sisters find hope and healing.
Ava Howell seemed to have it all. She moved away from Emerald Creek, Idaho, married the love of her life and published a bestselling memoir. But she never expected that her husband would feel so betrayed by a secret from her past—the truth of what happened to her and her sister all those years ago—that he’d walk away. Now Ava is back home and trying to move on with the only person who can truly understand…
Following years of healing, Madison Howell is finally happy. After college she built a no-kill shelter where she works with animals every day, and she’s in love with the town veterinarian, Dr. Luke Gentry. But she can’t ever bring herself to tell him. Years ago, his dad died protecting Madi and her sister, so how could he ever love her back?
With the truth laid bare, and the past that Ava and Madison have worked so hard to leave behind threatening everything they have built for themselves, the Howell sisters’ reunion is bittersweet. And as Ava and Madi attempt to remedy the rifts in their lives and reconcile their futures, they must face the demons of their past together.
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Triple Sec by T.J. Alexander
What is it about: Mel, a jaded bartender at a posh NYC cocktail lounge, finds her life upended when Bebe, a captivating woman, and her partner Kade, enter the bar. Bebe’s proposal to date Mel introduces her to a polyamorous relationship filled with new experiences and self-discovery. As Mel’s confidence grows, she enters a cocktail competition, dreams of her own bar, and explores deepening feelings for both Bebe and Kade.
A jaded bartender is wooed by a charmingly quirky couple in this fresh and sizzling polyamorous rom-com, set in the exclusive world of high-end cocktail bars.
As a bartender at Terror & Virtue, a swanky New York City cocktail lounge known for its romantic atmosphere and Insta-worthy drinks, Mel has witnessed plenty of disastrous dates. That, coupled with her own romantic life being in shambles, has Mel convinced love doesn’t exist.
Everything changes when Bebe walks into the bar. She’s beautiful, funny, knows her whiskeys—and is happily married to her partner, Kade. Mel’s resigned to forget the whole thing, but Bebe makes her a unique since she and Kade have an open marriage, she’s interested in taking Mel on a date.
What starts as a fun romp turns into a burgeoning relationship, and soon Mel is trying all sorts of things she’d been avoiding, from grand romantic gestures to steamy exploits. Mel even gets the self-confidence to enter a cocktail competition that would make her dream of opening her own bar a reality. In the chaotic whirl of all these new experiences, Mel realizes there might be a spark between her and Kade, too. As Bebe, Kade, and Mel explore their connections, Mel begins to think that real love might be more expansive than she ever thought possible.
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Prime Time Romance by Kate Robb
What is it about: Newly divorced Brynn, living with her roommate Josh, finds herself magically transported into her favorite 90s soap, Carson’s Cove. As they explore this surreal new reality, Brynn and Josh, now characters in the show, must decide whether to follow the script or create their own happy ending. Kate Robb’s novel is a charming blend of nostalgia and romance, perfect for anyone who ever dreamed of stepping into their favorite TV show.
Brynn’s happy ending has gone up in flames. She’s newly divorced and living with a roommate – Josh – to afford her mortgage. At least she’s got Carson’s Cove to binge – her beloved 90s teenage soap.
So when a birthday cake shows up on her and Josh’s doorstep, Brynn makes a wish for her own happily-ever-after.
The next morning, she doesn’t wake up in her apartment. She’s in Carson’s Cove… and Josh is there too. Except they’re not Brynn and Josh; they’re the sweetheart and the bad boy.
Will they stick to the script, or will real love change the story forever?
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The Summer of Yes by Courtney Walsh
What is it about: After a near-death experience, junior editor Kelsey Worthington decides to embrace life by saying “yes” to new adventures. Inspired by terminally ill businesswoman Georgina Tate, Kelsey embarks on a transformative summer journey. Together, they explore New York City, form unexpected connections, and confront past regrets.
A near-death experience catapults workaholic junior editor Kelsey Worthington into changing her life–one yes at a time.
Kelsey Worthington always dreamed of being a writer, but she’s settled into a routine of helping other people tell their stories in her job as a junior editor. She doesn’t go outside of her comfort zone. Her relationships are safe. Her job is secure. Her existence is stable. And she’s great with that.
And then, the accident.
While she’s in the hospital overnight, she meets an older woman named Georgina Tate–a glass-ceiling-shattering, wildly successful businesswoman. Georgina sacrificed everything to become the woman she is today, but now, with a pair of failing kidneys and only a handful of months left to live, Georgina is forced to come face-to-face with her regrets. Kelsey is forced to reckon with her own list of “things I’ll do someday,” and she starts to ask a simple but life-changing What if I said yes to all the things I normally say no to? And The Yes Plan is born.
It takes some convincing, but Georgina finally agrees to go along with Kelsey on her Summer of Yes adventures. The two of them set off to see what might be out there waiting for them if they simply open themselves up to it. Together, they say yes to whatever comes their way–a whole day being tourists in their own New York City, dinner with strangers, a convertible that is far from practical but so much fun. But when Kelsey springs a surprise visit to Georgina’s son Hayden and Georgina’s ex-husband (who is not so much of an ex), the older woman is less than thrilled. But this is where the true journey begins.
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Darling Girls by Sally Hepworth
What is it about: Jessica, Norah, and Alicia were raised by their strict foster mother, Miss Fairchild, on a seemingly idyllic estate. Years later, a body is discovered at their childhood home, bringing past traumas to light. As key witnesses or potential suspects, the foster sisters must confront their haunted past. Sally Hepworth’s gripping thriller delves into sisterhood, secrets, and the quest for truth.
For as long as they can remember, Jessica, Norah, and Alicia have been told how lucky they are. As young girls they were rescued from family tragedies and raised by a loving foster mother, Miss Fairchild, on an idyllic farming estate and given an elusive second chance at a happy family life.
But their childhood wasn’t the fairy tale everyone thinks it was. Miss Fairchild had rules. Miss Fairchild could be unpredictable. And Miss Fairchild was never, ever to be crossed. In a moment of desperation, the three broke away from Miss Fairchild and thought they were free. Even though they never saw her again, she was always somewhere in the shadows of their minds. When a body is discovered under the home they grew up in, the foster sisters find themselves thrust into the spotlight as key witnesses. Or are they prime suspects?
A thrilling page-turner of sisterhood, secrets, love, and murder by New York Times bestselling author Sally Hepworth.
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For the Love of Summer by Susan Mallery
What is it about: Erica, owner of a top Seattle salon, fears losing her daughter Summer to her stepmom Allison, especially after Allison’s husband is arrested. Facing financial ruin and loneliness, Allison moves in with Erica, the woman her stepdaughter turns to for help. As they navigate their complicated relationship, both women find unexpected friendship and redefine what it means to be family.
From #1 New York Times bestselling author Susan Mallery comes an unforgettable tale about finding friendship with the unlikeliest person…
As the owner of Twisted, Seattle’s best salons, Erica knows that the sharpest cuts come from the people we love. She’s terrified that she’s losing her teen daughter, Summer, to her “other” family, especially to her stepmom, Allison.
All it takes to blow up Allison’s happy life is one collect call. From prison. Her beloved husband, Peter, has been arrested, leaving Allison pregnant, broke, scared and alone with a toddler. But when her stepdaughter ferrets out the truth, the teen rushes to the last person Allison wants to ask for help—her husband’s battle-ax ex.
Erica would do anything for Summer, even take in the woman her daughter loves like a second mom. Allison feels intimidated by Erica—a woman who would never let herself become so dependent on a man. But the more time they spend together, the more Allison realizes what Erica truly needs is a friend. Can two women who married the same man move beyond their complicated past and rethink what it means to be family?
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The Summer We Started Over by Nancy Thayer
What is it about: Eddie Grant returns to Nantucket to help her sister Barrett with her new gift shop, confronting their difficult family past. Living in Manhattan, Eddie has avoided the island’s painful memories, but back home, she must face her father’s eccentricities and a complicated past romance. Together, the sisters open a bookstore in their father’s barn and uncover a family secret that changes their lives.
Two sisters reconnect and pursue their dreams on the beautiful island of Nantucket, overcoming life’s challenges and finding new love, in this heartwarming and hopeful novel by New York Times bestselling author Nancy Thayer.
Eddie Grant is happy with her life and her work as a personal assistant to Dinah Lavender, one of the most famous and renowned romance authors in the business. But being a spectator to notoriety and glamour isn’t as fulfilling as she once thought. Thankfully, Eddie has the perfect excuse for a vacation: Her hardworking younger sister, Barrett, is opening her gift shop on Memorial Day weekend, and could use all the help she can get.
But going home to the beautiful island of Nantucket means facing the family’s difficult past. Shortly after the death of Eddie and Barrett’s brother, their mother left them and their father made the spontaneous decision to buy a small farm. Eddie stayed there for only a year before her family’s grief threatened to consume her as well, and had been living in Manhattan ever since. Now that she is back, Eddie must face all she left behind: her father’s increased eccentricities, which has led to a house bursting at the seams with books; her sister’s resentment over Eddie’s escape; and a past love connection, one that is still undeniable and complicated, all these years later. But the Grant sisters are nothing if not resilient and capable, opening a used bookstore in their father’s abandoned barn to manage his hoarding, and navigating the discovery of a long-buried family secret that will change all of them forever.
In The Summer We Started Over, beloved storyteller Nancy Thayer transports readers with a moving story about family, courage, and the resiliency of young women.
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Lies and Weddings by Kevin Kwan
What is it about: Rufus Leung Gresham, future Earl of Greshambury, faces a crumbling family fortune hidden behind a facade of wealth. His mother devises a plan: Rufus must marry rich to save the family. Should he choose the elegant Solène de Courcy, the savvy Martha Dung, or his true love, the modest Eden Tong? During a lavish Hawaiian wedding, secrets unravel—a hot mic exposes a forbidden affair, a volcanic eruption disrupts the festivities, and the Gresham family’s reputation is at stake. As hidden tragedies come to light, Rufus must navigate scandals and decide if love or duty will guide his future.
A forbidden affair erupts dramatically amid a decadent Hawaiian wedding in this hilarious, sophisticated, and thrillingly plotted story of love, money, murder, sex—and the lies we tell about them all.
Rufus Leung Gresham, future Earl of Greshambury and son of a former Hong Kong supermodel, has a problem: his family fortune, the legendary Gresham Trust, has been depleted by decades of profligate spending. While magazine covers and Instagram stories display impeccably designed manors and shiny new yachts, the secret reality holds nothing more than a gargantuan mountain of debt. The only solution, put forth by Rufus’s scheming mother, is for Rufus to seduce a woman with money, thereby securing the family’s precarious financial future.
Should he marry Solène de Courcy, a French hotel heiress with honey-blond tresses and a royal bloodline? Should he pursue Martha Dung, the tattooed venture capital genius who passes out billions like lollipops? Or should he follow his heart, betray his family, squander his legacy, and finally confess his love to the literal girl next door, the humble daughter of a doctor, Eden Tong?
When the Gresham family descends on the Big Island of Hawaii to host a veritable who’s who of sultans, barons, and oligarchs for the wedding of the decade, Rufus must merely flex his famous abs to bewitch the heiress of his choice. But instead a hot mic exposes a secret tryst, a volcanic eruption burns through the nuptials, and the Gresham family’s plans—and their reputation—go up in flames.
Can the once-great earldom rise from the ashes? Or will a secret tragedy, hidden for two decades, reveal a shocking twist? Spanning the black sand beaches of Hawaii, the red city of Marrakech, the Los Angeles bachelor pad of a billionaire playboy, and the inner sanctum of England’s oldest family estate, Lies and Weddings reveals an enthralling family saga that is as scandalous and satirical as it is full of heart.
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Just for the Summer by Abby Jimenez
What is it about: Justin’s curse, where ex-girlfriends find their soulmates right after they break up, goes viral. Emma, a traveling nurse with the same curse, teams up with Justin for a summer fling in Minnesota, hoping their curses will cancel each other out. Renting a cottage on Lake Minnetonka, their plan is simple—date and then break up. But when Emma’s toxic mother and Justin’s siblings enter the picture, real feelings complicate their arrangement. This charming, quirky romance explores the twists and turns of finding love when you least expect it.
Justin has a curse, and thanks to a Reddit thread, it’s now all over the internet. Every woman he dates goes on to find their soul mate the second they break up. When a woman slides into his DMs with the same problem, they come up with a plan: They’ll date each other and break up. Their curses will cancel each other’s out, and they’ll both go on to find the love of their lives. It’s a bonkers idea… and it just might work.
Emma hadn’t planned that her next assignment as a traveling nurse would be in Minnesota, but she and her best friend agree that dating Justin is too good of an opportunity to pass up, especially when they get to rent an adorable cottage on a private island on Lake Minnetonka.
It’s supposed to be a quick fling, just for the summer. But when Emma’s toxic mother shows up and Justin has to assume guardianship of his three siblings, they’re suddenly navigating a lot more than they expected–including catching real feelings for each other. What if this time Fate has actually brought the perfect pair together?
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Husbands & Lovers by Beatriz Williams
What is it about: Two women, separated by decades and continents, are connected by a mysterious family heirloom. As they uncover the secrets of this heirloom, they find second chances at love. Beatriz Williams weaves a compelling tale of romance and history, showing how the past and present intertwine to shape our futures.
Two women—separated by decades and continents, and united by a mysterious family heirloom—discover second chances at love in this sweeping novel from the New York Times bestselling author of The Summer Wives.
A sprawling and exciting new novel from Beatriz Williams, the acclaimed author of A Hundred Summers and The Summer Wives.
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The Summer Book Club by Susan Mallery
What is it about: Laurel, Paris, and Cassie form a summer book club to escape their hectic lives. Each woman faces personal struggles: Laurel’s skepticism about men affects her daughters, Cassie keeps falling for immature men, and Paris is recovering from a breakup. This heartwarming story celebrates friendship, courage, and the power of new beginnings.
The rules of summer book club are simple:
• No sad books
• No pressure
• Yessssss, wine!
Besties Laurel and Paris are excited to welcome Cassie to the group. This year, the book club is all about fill-your-heart reads, an escape from the chaos of the everyday—running a business, raising a family, juggling a hundred to-dos. Even the dog is demanding (but the bestest boy).
Since Laurel’s divorce, she feels like the Worst Mom Ever. Her skepticism of men may have scarred her vulnerable daughters. Cassie has an unfortunate habit of falling for ridiculous man-boys who dump her once she fixes them. Paris knows good men exist. She’s still reeling after chasing off the only one brave enough—and foolish enough—to marry her.
Inspired by the heroines who risk everything for fulfillment, Laurel, Paris and Cassie begin to take chances—big chances—in life, in love. Facing an unwritten chapter can be terrifying. But it can be exhilarating, too, if only they can find the courage to change.
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This Summer Will Be Different by Carley Fortune
What is it about: Lucy vacations annually on Prince Edward Island, trying to avoid Felix, her best friend’s younger brother, despite their undeniable chemistry. Each visit, she promises herself not to get involved with him again. But when her best friend Bridget flees Toronto before her wedding, Lucy follows to help. As she spends more time with Felix, she questions if keeping her heart out of their relationship is truly possible.
Lucy is the tourist vacationing at a beach house on Prince Edward Island. Felix is the local who shows her a very good time. The only problem: Lucy doesn’t know he’s her best friend’s younger brother. Lucy and Felix’s chemistry is unreal, but the list of reasons why they need to stay away from each other is long, and they vow to never repeat that electric night again.
It’s easier said than done.
Each year, Lucy escapes to PEI for a big breath of coastal air, fresh oysters and crisp vinho verde with her best friend, Bridget. Every visit begins with a long walk on the beach, beneath soaring red cliffs and a golden sun. And every visit, Lucy promises herself she won’t wind up in Felix’s bed. Again.
If Lucy can’t help being drawn to Felix, at least she’s always kept her heart out of it.
When Bridget suddenly flees Toronto a week before her wedding, Lucy drops everything to follow her to the island. Her mission is to help Bridget through her crisis and resist the one man she’s never been able to. But Felix’s sparkling eyes and flirty quips have been replaced with something new, and Lucy’s beginning to wonder just how safe her heart truly is.
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Summer Romance by Annabel Monaghan
What is it about: Ali Morris’s life is a mess after losing her mom and getting divorced. When her dog introduces her to Ethan in an unconventional way, Ali is surprised by the spark between them. Despite her chaotic life, Ali considers giving love another chance. This delightful summer romance is about finding joy and love in unexpected places.
Benefits of a summer romance: it’s always fun, always brief, and no one gets their heart broken.
There aren’t enough labeled glass containers to contain the mess that is Ali Morris’s life. Her mom died two years ago, then her husband left, and she hasn’t worn pants with a zipper in longer than she cares to remember. She’s a professional organizer whose pantry is a disgrace.
No one is more surprised than Ali when the first time she takes off her wedding ring and puts on pants with hardware—overalls count, right?—she meets someone. Or rather, her dog claims a man for her in the same way he claimed his favorite of her three children: by peeing on him. Ethan smiles at Ali like her pants are just right—like he likes what he sees. The last thing Ali needs is to make her life messier, but there’s no harm in a little Summer Romance. Is there?
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Swan Song by Elin Hilderbrand
What is it about: As Chief of Police Ed Kapenash plans to retire, a fire at a lavish summer home and the disappearance of a personal assistant pull him back into duty. The new, flashy couple in town, the Richardsons, are at the center of this mystery. In a community where everyone knows each other, Ed must unravel the truth before he can finally retire. Elin Hilderbrand’s final Nantucket novel is a gripping, sun-soaked mystery filled with familiar faces and the charm of the beloved island.
After thirty-five years serving as the Chief of Police on the island of Nantucket, Ed Kapenash’s heart can no longer take the stress. But his plans to retire are thwarted when, with only three days left to serve, he receives a phone call. A 22-million-dollar summer home, recently purchased by the flashy new couple in town, the Richardsons, has burned to the ground. The Richardsons are far from hurt—in fact, they’re out on the water, throwing a lavish party on their yacht—but when news of the fire reaches them, they discover that their personal assistant has vanished. The Chief is well-acquainted with the Richardsons, and his daughter is best friends with the now-missing girl, leaving him no choice but to postpone his retirement and take on the double case.
On a small island like Nantucket, the Richardsons shook things up from the second they stepped on to the scene, throwing luxurious parties and doing whatever they could to gain admittance to the coveted lunches at the Field & Oar Club (with increasing desperation). They instantly captured the attention of local real estate agent Fast Eddie, and the town gossip Blond Sharon, both dealing with their own personal dramas. Blond Sharon is going through a divorce, and in order to avoid becoming a cliché, she’s enrolled in a creative writing class, putting her natural affinity for scandal towards a more noble purpose. To solve the case of the fire and track down his daughter’s best friend, the Chief will have to string together the pieces of the lives of all of these characters and more, rallying his strength for his final act of service to the tight-knit community he knows and loves.
The last of Elin Hilderbrand’s bestselling Nantucket novels, Swan Song is a propulsive medley of glittering gatherings, sun-soaked drama, wisdom and heart, featuring the return of some of her most beloved characters, including, most importantly, the beautiful and timeless island of Nantucket itself.
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A Novel Love Story by Ashley Poston
What is it about: Eileen Merriweather, jilted at the altar, finds solace in books. On her way to a book club retreat, her car breaks down, and she ends up in Eloraton, a fictional town from her favorite romance series. As she navigates this storybook town, she meets a grumpy bookstore owner who challenges her perception of love and fiction. Eileen’s journey is a heartwarming exploration of finding love and happiness beyond the pages of a book.
Eileen Merriweather loves to get lost in a good happily-ever-after. The fictional kind, anyway. Because at least imaginary men don’t leave you at the altar. She feels safe in a book. At home. Which might be why she’s so set on going to her annual book club retreat this year—she needs good friends, cheap wine, and grand romantic gestures—no matter what.
But when her car unexpectedly breaks down on the way, she finds herself stranded in a quaint town that feels like it’s right out of a novel…
Because it is.
This place can’t be real, and yet… she’s here, in Eloraton, the town of her favorite romance series, where the candy store’s honey taffy is always sweet, the local bar’s burgers are always a little burnt, and rain always comes in the afternoon. It feels like home. It’s perfect—and perfectly frozen, trapped in the late author’s last unfinished story.
Elsy is sure that’s why she must be here: to help bring the town to its storybook ending.
Except there is a character in Eloraton that she can’t place—a grumpy bookstore owner with mint-green eyes, an irritatingly sexy mouth and impeccable taste in novels. And he does not want her finishing this book.
Which is a problem because Elsy is beginning to think the town’s happily-ever-after might just be intertwined with her own.
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The Pairing by Casey McQuiston
What is it about: Theo and Kit, once lovers, now estranged, accidentally reunite on a European food and wine tour. Both aiming to take the trip solo, they find themselves competing in a friendly wager to hook up with the tour guide. This humorous and heartfelt story is about rediscovering love and passion amid breathtaking scenery and culinary delights.
Theo and Kit have been a lot of things: childhood best friends, crushes, in love, and now estranged exes. After a brutal breakup on the transatlantic flight to their dream European food and wine tour, they exited each other’s lives once and for all.
Time apart has done them good. Theo has found confidence as a hustling bartender by night and aspiring sommelier by day, with a long roster of casual lovers. Kit, who never returned to America, graduated as the reigning sex god of his pastry school class and now bakes at one of the finest restaurants in Paris. Sure, nothing really compares to what they had, and life stretches out long and lonely ahead of them, but—yeah. It’s in the past.
All that remains is the unused voucher for the European tour that never happened, good for 48 months after its original date and about to expire. Four years later, it seems like a great idea to finally take the trip. Solo. Separately.
It’s not until they board the tour bus that they discover they’ve both accidentally had the exact same idea, and now they’re trapped with each other for three weeks of stunning views, luscious flavors, and the most romantic cities of France, Spain, and Italy. It’s fine. There’s nothing left between them. So much nothing that, when Theo suggests a friendly wager to see who can sleep with their hot Italian tour guide first, Kit is totally game. And why stop there? Why not a full-on European hookup competition?
But sometimes a taste of everything only makes you crave what you can’t have.
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The Summer Pact by Emily Giffin
What is it about: After a tragic event during their college years, four friends—Lainey, Tyson, Summer, and Hannah—make a pact to always support each other. Ten years later, facing personal crossroads, they reunite for a transformative journey. An uplifting novel that explores the themes of friendship, grief, and redemption.
In the wake of tragedy, a group of friends make a pact that will cause them to reunite a decade later and embark upon a life-changing adventure together—from the #1 New York Times bestselling author of Meant to Be.
Four freshmen arrive at college from completely different worlds: Lainey, a California party girl with a flair for drama; Tyson, a brilliant scholar and law school hopeful from D.C.; Summer, a recruited athlete and perfectionist from the Midwest; and Hannah, a mild-mannered southerner who is content to quietly round out the circle of big personalities. Soon after moving into their shared dorm, they strike up a conversation in a study lounge, and the seeds of friendship are planted.
As their college years fly by, their bond intensifies and the four become inseparable. But as graduation nears, their lives are forever changed after a desperate act leads to tragic consequences. Stunned and heartbroken, a pact is made to be there for each other in their time of need, no matter how separated they are by circumstances or distance.
Ten years later, Hannah is anticipating what should be one of the happiest moments of her life when everything is suddenly turned upside down. Calling on her closest friends, it soon becomes clear that they are facing their own crossroads. True to their promise, they agree to take a time out from lives headed in wrong directions and embark on a journey of self-discovery, forgiveness, and acceptance.
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The Midnight Feast by Lucy Foley
What is it about: At the grand opening of The Manor, a luxurious retreat, darkness lurks beneath the festivities. Old friends and foes gather, but when a fire and a body are discovered, local police must uncover the truth. Lucy Foley’s new locked room murder mystery is a fasciating blend of suspense, secrets, and high-society drama.
The deliciously twisty new locked room murder mystery from the #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Guest List and The Paris Apartment.
It’s the opening night of The Manor, and no expense, small or large, has been spared. The infinity pool sparkles; crystal pouches for guests’ healing have been placed in the Seaside Cottages and Woodland Hutches; the “Manor Mule” cocktail (grapefruit, ginger, vodka, and a dash of CBD oil) is being poured with a heavy hand. Everyone is wearing linen.
But under the burning midsummer sun, darkness stirs. Old friends and enemies circulate among the guests. Just outside the Manor’s immaculately kept grounds, an ancient forest bristles with secrets. And the Sunday morning of opening weekend, the local police are called. Something’s not right with the guests. There’s been a fire. A body’s been discovered.
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The Ex Vows by Jessica Joyce
What is it about: Georgia Woodward has strict rules about her ex, Eli Mora, to maintain peace in their friend group. As best woman and man at their mutual friend’s wedding, they’re forced to work together when the venue burns down. Amid wedding chaos and rekindled chemistry, Georgia and Eli confront their past and feelings.
Georgia Woodward lives by her lists, none more so than the one about her ex, Eli Mora. It’s full of the ironclad dos and don’ts they’ve been following since she returned to the Bay Area after their cataclysmic breakup five years ago.
With the wedding of their mutual best friend, Adam, looming, and them about to step into their roles as best woman and man, Georgia’s never needed it more. She refuses to threaten their tight-knit friend group with her messy—and still very present—feelings. The rules on that list will keep her cool, calm, and compartmentalized.
What’s not on her list? Eli arriving from New York with a new rule-breaking attitude or the all-inclusive venue burning to the ground, leaving the bride and groom in dire straits. Nor does she anticipate Adam asking her and Eli to help him make a miracle happen. Together.
As Georgia and Eli rush up to Napa Valley to pull off the perfect wedding, their old chemistry comes back in technicolor. Somewhere between cake tastings gone wrong, disastrous DJ auditions, and Eli’s heated attention, Georgia starts recognizing the man she fell in love with before. And if she lets herself break her rules, she might f
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Not in Love by Ali Hazelwood
What is it about: Rue Siebert, a successful biotech engineer, faces a hostile takeover led by Eli Killgore, a man she’s secretly attracted to. Despite their professional rivalry, they embark on a secret, no-strings-attached affair.
A forbidden, secret affair proves that all’s fair in love and science.
Rue Siebert might not have it all, but she has enough: a few friends she can always count on, the financial stability she yearned for as a kid, and a successful career as a biotech engineer at Kline, one of the most promising start-ups in the field of food science. Her world is stable, pleasant, and hard-fought. Until a hostile takeover and its offensively attractive front man threatens to bring it all crumbling down.
Eli Killgore and his business partners want Kline, period. Eli has his own reasons for pushing this deal through – and he’s a man who gets what he wants. With one burning exception: Rue. The woman he can’t stop thinking about. The woman who’s off-limits to him.
Torn between loyalty and an undeniable attraction, Rue and Eli throw caution out the lab and the boardroom windows. Their affair is secret, no-strings-attached, and has a built-in deadline: the day one of their companies will prevail. But the heart is risky business – one that plays for keeps.
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Ne’er Duke Well by Alexandra Vasti
What is it about: Peter Kent, the new Duke of Stanhope, needs to clean up his scandalous reputation to become guardian to his siblings. He enlists the help of Lady Selina Ravenscroft, who secretly runs an erotic library for women. Their matchmaking plan goes awry as they fall for each other, challenging societal norms and igniting a passionate romance.
Peter Kent―newly inherited Duke of Stanhope and recently of New Orleans, Louisiana―must become respectable. Between his radical politics and the time he interrupted a minor royal wedding with a flock of sheep―not his fault!―he’s developed a scandalous reputation at odds with his goal of becoming guardian to his half siblings. For help, he turns to the cleverest and most managing woman of his acquaintance, Lady Selina Ravenscroft.
Selina is society’s most proper debutante, save one tiny secret: she runs an erotic circulating library for women. When Peter asks for her help, she suggests courtship and marriage to a lady of unimpeachable reputation. (Which is to say, definitely not herself.)
But matchmaking doesn’t go according to plan. Peter’s siblings run rampant on Bond Street. Selina ends up in the Serpentine. And worst of all, the scorching chemistry between Peter and Selina proves impossible to resist. For the disreputable duke and his unpredictable matchmaker, falling in love just might be the ultimate scandal.
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