Pack two bags for your beach trip this summer: one filled with sunscreen, towels, and snacks, and another just for books. From page-turning thrillers and sun-soaked romances to travel-filled escapes, these beach reads are giving vacation vibes—even if you’re not heading to the shore.

Our Perfect Storm by Carley Fortune (5/5)

Frankie and George have always been best friends—on and off again—and after Frankie’s wedding is canceled, George offers to take her on her honeymoon anyway. Long buried feelings and unspoken secrets threaten to bring them together or tear them apart, in this romantic new novel from the #1 New York Times bestselling author of Every Summer After.

Buy the book now: Bookshop.org | Amazon

Summer State of Mind by Kristy Woodson Harvey (5/5)

A nurse looking for a change, a baby in need of a home, a heroic high school baseball coach, community theater hijinks—it’s the perfect set-up for a heartwarming rom-com, set in a North Carolina beach town. But a startling discovery causes friction in the small town—pushing these characters to discover where they truly belong.

Buy the book now: Bookshop.org | Amazon

Last Summer at Maine Chance by Jessica Everett (5/12)

After losing her scholarship, 1950s economics student Cynthia Proctor isn’t sure she’ll make it to graduation. So when she’s offered a summer job at Elizabeth Arden’s exclusive Maine Chance spa, she takes it. But what starts as a short-term fix may reshape her future in ways she never expected.

Buy the book now: Bookshop.org | Amazon

Take Me with You by Steven Rowley (5/19)

The author of the bestselling novel The Guncle delivers a witty, heartfelt story about love, loss, and figuring out what it means to stay when everything else disappears. Thirty years into their relationship, Jesse watches his husband, Norman, walk into their Joshua Tree backyard, step into a mysterious beam of light—and vanish. Left behind and completely unmoored, Jesse is forced to confront life alone for the first time in decades. As he searches for answers about Norman’s disappearance, strange neighbors, family drama, and growing suspicions only make things more complicated.

Buy the book now: Bookshop.org | Amazon

Safari Murder Party by Rachel Moore (5/19)

Two office rivals find themselves stranded on their billionaire boss’s safari park island—and whoever survives the week gets the company. Wild animals abound, and while office life was cutthroat, that’s no longer just a metaphor. The stakes couldn’t be higher, and as feuding turns fatal, unexpected attraction sparks and threatens everything.

Buy the book now: Bookshop.org | Amazon

The Summer Share by Jenn McKinlay (5/26)

When Simon and Hannah realize they’ve inherited the same beach house, they begrudgingly agree to renovate it together. But Hannah wants the house, and Simon wants to sell. And she’s starting to think she wants Simon to stay too, but if they can’t find a way to each other, this summer might be their only season together.

Buy the book now: Bookshop.org | Amazon

The Last Days of Summer by Sarra Manning (6/2)

A steamy enemies-to-lovers romance at a British seaside resort—yes, please. Cassie and Marc hate each other, but they love their friends Lucy and Russell more and agree to spend a weekend all together. When sparks start to fly, they enjoy an unexpected summer fling. But if they can’t let go of old hurts—their tentative love may end before it has a chance to truly begin.

Buy the book now: Bookshop.org | Amazon

The Summer Girlfriend by Kristina Forest (6/9)

Noelle needs college tuition money, and Jeremiah needs a fake girlfriend for a weekend with his family—a match made in fake-dating trope heaven. What starts as one weekend turns into a summer fling, but when just-for-fun blossoms into something deeper, Noelle and Jeremiah must decide to trust their hearts—or risk breaking them.

Buy the book now: Bookshop.org | Amazon

Summer at the French Bakery by Jo Thomas (6/9)

Juliet is starting over. Leaving a painful past behind, she moves to the French countryside, determined to restore an old mill and open a cafe. But nothing seems to go her way. Instead of a cafe, she finds herself reviving an old boulangerie, learning how to make bread when cakes are her speciality. With the help of a charming shop owner—and a little bit of courage—Juliet begins to realize that what she once hoped for may turn out even better than she imagined.

Buy the book now: Bookshop.org | Amazon

Lost in the Summer of ’69 by Eliza Knight (6/9)

In the summer of 1969, Eleanor Bell leaves home with nothing to lose. Facing a diagnosis that may soon take away her music, she heads west to follow the festival circuit and chase one last unforgettable encore. But when her daughter and granddaughter realize she’s missing, they set off on a cross-country road trip to find her—always one step behind as Eleanor becomes the surprise voice of the summer. Lost in the Summer of ’69 is a nostalgic, heartwarming story about family, freedom, and making the most of every final act.

Buy the book now: Bookshop.org | Amazon

Nantucket Second Chances by Pamela Kelley (6/9)

Claire is back in Nantucket, starting over after a divorce, an unexpected pregnancy, and the challenges of raising a teenager turned her life in a direction she never expected. Desperate to regain her footing, she convinces her friend’s brother to let her use his empty storefront to sell off the luxury pieces from her old life. But as the shop takes shape, Claire realizes she may be building something much bigger than a side hustle: a second chance at the life she actually wants.

Buy the book now: Bookshop.org | Amazon

The Girl on the Beach by Carol Snow (6/23)

Sonia and Graham Starr have it all—a glamorous life, wealth, and a precocious four-year-old named Roxie. But then Roxie goes missing, and their world falls apart. Months later, their nanny returns to the beach where Roxie went missing, hoping to find her—but can she trust what she sees? The Girl on the Beach is a tense, sun-soaked thriller where nothing is quite as it seems.

Buy the book now: Bookshop.org | Amazon

Star-Crossed Summer by Devon Daniels (7/7)

He broke her heart ten years ago—can she risk giving him a second chance? Hollywood actors Scarlett and Ryder reunite in the seaside South Carolina town where they first fell in love. Sparks reignite easily, but trust is much harder to rebuild—especially with the devastating secret Scarlett has kept all these years threatening to ruin everything before their second chance even begins.

Buy the book now: Bookshop.org | Amazon

Summer People by Sally Blakely (7/7)

Five college friends reunite at the beach for one week every summer, bound by one rule: no dating each other. But Everett and Sutton broke that rule—and the fallout shattered the group. Now, when one friend’s divorce sparks a long-overdue reunion, Sutton and Everett come face-to-face for the first time in five years. Can old friendships be repaired and old feelings reignited, or will this be their last summer together?

Buy the book now: Bookshop.org | Amazon

My Best French Wedding by Amanda Sellet (8/11)

Hildy has worked too hard building her magazine to let her longtime rival—and first heartbreak—Walter steal her spotlight. When she lands exclusive access to the wedding of the season in the South of France, it should be her big break—until Walter shows up, chasing the same story. Between champagne, châteaux, and sparks that never quite died, Hildy has seven days to prove she’s over him… even if Walter has other plans.

Buy the book now: Bookshop.org | Amazon