25 Beach Reads Perfect for Summer

By Southern Living

If you’re already planning what books you’ll be packing in your beach bag this summer, you’re in good company. Vacation is just around the corner, and our reading list is as ready as we are. There are lots of new beach-ready reads by some of our favorite authors coming out this summer. From Mary Alice Monroe to Elin Hildebrand to Jasmine Guillory, there’s no lack of new stories coming out to keep us busy all summer long. If you’re still looking for a few good books, check out some of our favorite beach reads of 2019, and get that summer reading list in order. Beach days will be here before you know it—and if you’re also still booking your travel, check out The South’s Best Beach Towns and The South’s Best Resorts for some of our readers’ best summer ideas and favorite vacation spots to inspire your travels with family and friends this season.

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25 Beach Reads Perfect for Summer

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The Light Over London by Julia Kelly

amazon.com

To buy: $26, amazon.com, indiebound.org

This historical novel jumps between the lives of two women—one working with antiques in present day, the other living in WWII-era London.  (January 8)

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Unmarriageable by Soniah Kamal

amazon.com

To buy: $27, amazon.com, indiebound.org

This book is a re-telling of Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice that’s set in present-day Pakistan. (January 22)

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99 Percent Mine by Sally Thorne

amazon.com

To buy: $26.99, amazon.com, indiebound.org

Two siblings inherit a fixer-upper cottage from their grandmother and enlist the help of a family friend to help turn things around in this funny romp. (January 29)

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Good Riddance by Elinor Lipman

amazon.com

To buy: $25, amazon.com, indiebound.org

A discarded school yearbook sparks an adventure for a documentary filmmaker in this great new romantic comedy. (February 5)

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I Owe You One by Sophie Kinsella

amazon.com

To buy: $27, amazon.com, indiebound.org

In Sophie Kinsella’s latest, Fixie Farr claims an IOU from a stranger, a decision that just might change her life. (February 5)

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Finding Dorothy by Elizabeth Letts

amazon.com

To buy: $28, amazon.com, indiebound.org

This book is an imaginative glimpse behind the scenes of a well-known story—the story of The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, as told by L. Frank Baum’s wife, Maud. (February 12)

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American Duchess by Karen Harper

amazon.com

To buy: $26.99, amazon.com, indiebound.org

This book spans the Gilded Age to World War II, telling the story of Consuelo Vanderbilt, an American who married the 9th Duke of Marlborough and moved into Blenheim Palace though she loved someone else. (February 26)

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Daisy Jones & The Six by Taylor Jenkins Reid

amazon.com

To buy: $27, amazon.com, indiebound.org

Set in the sixties and seventies, Taylor Jenkins Reid’s new novel follows the ups, downs, glamour, and glitz of a legendary rock band.  (March 5)

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Me for You by Lolly Winston

amazon.com

To buy: $26, amazon.com, indiebound.org

In this charming new novel by Lolly Winston, widower Rudy tries to start over after the death of his wife—he returns to the piano and discovers a sweet new love story. (March 12)

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Glory Road by Lauren K. Denton

amazon.com

To buy: $16.99, amazon.com, indiebound.org

Three generations of women come together to heal and grow in Lauren K. Denton’s new novel, which is set in Perry, a small South Alabama town. (March 19)

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The Editor by Steven Rowley

amazon.com

To buy: $27, amazon.com, indiebound.org

In this book, a writer in 1990s NYC finally sells his novel, but the real story is the editor with whom he works and builds a friendship—none other than Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis herself. (April 2)

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Lost Roses by Martha Hall Kelly

amazon.com

To buy: $28, amazon.com, indiebound.org

A World War I-era friendship is at the heart of this lovely new novel by Martha Hall Kelly, which is set in the same world as her previous novel, Lilac Girls. (April 9)

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Sunset Beach by Mary Kay Andrews

amazon.com

To buy: $28.99, amazon.com, indiebound.org

Drue Campbell inherits a beach cottage in this new book about weathering the storms of life—and being open to the possibilities for new love too. (May 7)

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The Southern Side of Paradise by Kristy Woodson Harvey

amazon.com

To buy: $16, amazon.com, indiebound.org

The third installment in the Peachtree Bluff series is about the bonds between sisters, the relationships between mothers and daughters, and the struggles families can withstand as long as they stand together. (May 7)

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The Unhoneymooners by Christina Lauren

amazon.com

To buy: $16, amazon.com, indiebound.org

Nemeses Olive and Ethan take advantage of a free trip to Maui—a honeymoon abandoned by a couple with food poisoning—in this funny story about love and playing pretend. (May 14)

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Summer by the Tides by Denise Hunter

amazon.com

To buy: $15.99, amazon.com, indiebound.org

Set in Sea Haven, North Carolina, this book follows three sisters who meet up in NC to pack up their grandmother’s beach house, reconnect, and learn that their lives are not all that they seem. (May 21)

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Queen Bee by Dorothea Benton Frank

amazon.com

To buy: $27.99, amazon.com, indiebound.org

Dorothea Benton Frank’s latest tells the story of Holly McNee Kensen, a beekeeper and librarian on Sullivan’s Island, whose mother and meddling sister create chaos in the quiet life she’s established for herself.  (May 28)

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Summer Hours by Amy Mason Doan

amazon.com

To buy: $16.99, amazon.com, indiebound.org

Love and friendship are at the heart of this California-set summertime story. (June 4)

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The Summer Guests by Mary Alice Monroe

amazon.com

To buy: $26.99, amazon.com, indiebound.org

When a hurricane heads toward the Florida and South Carolina coasts, a cast of characters evacuate to North Carolina where they learn lessons from each other as the storm passes. (June 11)

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This Is Home by Lisa Duffy

amazon.com

To buy: $16.48, amazon.com, indiebound.org

An unexpected friendship grows between a tenant and the homeowners she rents from in this story of love and loss. (June 11)

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Waiting for Tom Hanks by Kerry Winfrey

amazon.com

To buy: $15, amazon.com, indiebound.org

An aspiring screenwriter searching for her own movie magic meets a less-than-charming film star in this great new rom-com. (June 11)

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Summer of ’69 by Elin Hilderbrand

amazon.com

To buy: $28, amazon.com, indiebound.org

Elin Hilderbrand’s new novel is her first historical story—it’s set in Nantucket in 1969, a year that brings lots of changes to the Levin family and the country overall. (June 18)

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The Golden Hour by Beatriz Williams

amazon.com

To buy: $26.99, amazon.com, indiebound.org

Set in the Bahamas during World War II, this story follows Leonora “Lulu” Randolph as she immerses herself in the society world, encounters a mystery, and falls in love. (July 9)

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The Wedding Party by Jasmine Guillory

amazon.com

To buy: $15, amazon.com, indiebound.org

In this new romance from Jasmine Guillory, two sworn nemeses find themselves feeling something new—something deeper—as they share duties for their best friend’s bridal party. (July 16)

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The Chelsea Girls by Fiona Davis

amazon.com

To buy: $27, amazon.com, indiebound.org

1950s New York is the setting of this novel about female friendship and Broadway dreams. (July 30)

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