Beach season is here. If you like to sit out by the ocean with a good book to keep you company, you're in luckâthere are plenty of new page-turners out this summer. From swoon-worthy romances to chilling thrillers, there are all different kinds of beach reads on this list. All you have to do now is grab one of these books and head to the beach.
1) People We Meet On Vacation by Emily Henry
Official Synopsis: "Poppy and Alex. Alex and Poppy. They have nothing in common. Sheâs a wild child; he wears khakis. She has insatiable wanderlust; he prefers to stay home with a book. And somehow, ever since a fateful car share home from college many years ago, they are the very best of friends. For most of the year they live far apartâsheâs in New York City, and heâs in their small hometownâbut every summer, for a decade, they have taken one glorious week of vacation together.
Until two years ago, when they ruined everything. They havenât spoken since.
Poppy has everything she should want, but sheâs stuck in a rut. When someone asks when she was last truly happy, she knows, without a doubt, it was on that ill-fated, final trip with Alex. And so, she decides to convince her best friend to take one more vacation togetherâlay everything on the table, make it all right. Miraculously, he agrees.
Now she has a week to fix everything. If only she can get around the one big truth that has always stood quietly in the middle of their seemingly perfect relationship. What could possibly go wrong?"
2) One Last Stop by Casey McQuiston
Official Synopsis: "For cynical twenty-three-year-old August, moving to New York City is supposed to prove her right: that things like magic and cinematic love stories donât exist, and the only smart way to go through life is alone. She canât imagine how waiting tables at a 24-hour pancake diner and moving in with too many weird roommates could possibly change that. And thereâs certainly no chance of her subway commute being anything more than a daily trudge through boredom and electrical failures.
But then, thereâs this gorgeous girl on the train.
Jane. Dazzling, charming, mysterious, impossible Jane. Jane with her rough edges and swoopy hair and soft smile, showing up in a leather jacket to save Augustâs day when she needed it most. Augustâs subway crush becomes the best part of her day, but pretty soon, she discovers thereâs one big problem: Jane doesnât just look like an old school punk rocker. Sheâs literally displaced in time from the 1970s, and August is going to have to use everything she tried to leave in her own past to help her. Maybe itâs time to start believing in some things, after all."
3) Dial A for Aunties by Jesse Q Sutanto
Official Synopsis: "When Meddelin Chan ends up accidentally killing her blind date, her meddlesome mother calls for her even more meddlesome aunties to help get rid of the body. Unfortunately, a dead body proves to be a lot more challenging to dispose of than one might anticipate, especially when it is inadvertently shipped in a cake cooler to the over-the-top billionaire wedding Meddy, her Ma, and aunties are working at an island resort on the California coastline. Itâs the biggest job yet for the family wedding businessââDonât leave your big day to chance, leave it to the Chans!ââand nothing, not even an unsavory corpse, will get in the way of her auntieâs perfect buttercream flowers.
But things go from inconvenient to downright torturous when Meddyâs great college loveâand biggest heartbreakâmakes a surprise appearance amid the wedding chaos. Is it possible to escape murder charges, charm her ex back into her life,andpull off a stunning wedding all in one weekend?"
4) Malibu Rising by Taylor Jenkins Reid
Official Synopsis: "Malibu: August 1983. Itâs the day of Nina Rivaâs annual end-of-summer party, and anticipation is at a fever pitch. Everyone wants to be around the famous Rivas: Nina, the talented surfer and supermodel; brothers Jay and Hud, one a championship surfer, the other a renowned photographer; and their adored baby sister, Kit. Together the siblings are a source of fascination in Malibu and the world overâespecially as the offspring of the legendary singer Mick Riva.
The only person not looking forward to the party of the year is Nina herself, who never wanted to be the center of attention, and who has also just been very publicly abandoned by her pro tennis player husband. Oh, and maybe Hudâbecause it is long past time for him to confess something to the brother from whom heâs been inseparable since birth.
Jay, on the other hand, is counting the minutes until nightfall, when the girl he canât stop thinking about promised sheâll be there.
And Kit has a couple secrets of her ownâincluding a guest she invited without consulting anyone.
By midnight the party will be completely out of control. By morning, the Riva mansion will have gone up in flames. But before that first spark in the early hours before dawn, the alcohol will flow, the music will play, and the loves and secrets that shaped this familyâs generations will all come rising to the surface.
Malibu Rising is a story about one unforgettable night in the life of a family: the night they each have to choose what they will keep from the people who made them . . . and what they will leave behind."
5) Golden Girl by Elin Hilderbrand
Official Synopsis: "On a perfect June day, Vivian Howe, author of thirteen beach novels and mother of three nearly-grown children, is killed in a hit-and-run car accident while jogging near her home on Nantucket. She ascends to the Beyond where sheâs assigned to a Person named Martha, who allows Vivi to watch what happens below for one last summer. Vivi also is granted three ânudgesâ to change the outcome of events on earth, and with her daughter, Willa on her third miscarriage, Carson partying until all hours, and Leo currently âoff againâ with his high-maintenance girlfriend, sheâll have to think carefully where to use them.
From the Beyond, Vivi watches âThe Chiefâ Ed Kapenash investigate her death, but her greatest worry is her final book, which contains a secret from her own youth that could be disastrous for her reputation. But when hidden truths come to light, Viviâs family will have to sort out their past and present mistakesâwith or without a nudge of help from aboveâwhile Vivi finally lets them grow without her."
6) Mirrorland by Carole Johnstone
Official Synopsis: "Cat lives in Los Angeles, far away from 36 Westeryk Road, the imposing gothic house in Edinburgh where she and her estranged twin sister, El, grew up. As girls, they invented Mirrorland, a dark, imaginary place under the pantry stairs full of pirates, witches, and clowns. These days Cat rarely thinks about their childhood home, or the fact that El now lives there with her husband Ross.
But when El mysteriously disappears after going out on her sailboat, Cat is forced to return to 36 Westeryk Road, which has scarcely changed in twenty years. The grand old house is still full of shadowy corners, and at every turn Cat finds herself stumbling on long-held secrets and terrifying ghosts from the past. Because someoneâEl?âhas left Cat clues in almost every room: a treasure hunt that leads right back to Mirrorland, where she knows the truth lies crouched and waiting...
A twisty, dark, and brilliantly crafted thriller about love and betrayal, redemption and revenge, Mirrorland is a propulsive, page-turning debut about the power of imagination and the price of freedom."
7) The View Was Exhausting by Mikaella Clements and Onjuli Datta
Official Synopsis: "The world can see that international A-list actress Whitman (âWinâ) Tagore and jet-setting playboy Leo Milanowski are made for each other. Their kisses start Twitter trends and their fights break the internet. From red carpet appearances to Met Gala mishaps, their on-again, off-again romance has titillated the public and the press for almost a decade. But itâs all a lie.
As a woman of color, Win knows the Hollywood deck is stacked against her, so sheâs perfected the art of controlling her public persona. Whenever she nears scandal, she calls in Leo, with his endearingly reckless attitude, for a staged date. Each public display of affection shifts the headlines back in Winâs favor, and Leo uses the good press to draw attention away from his dysfunctional family.
Pretending to be in a passionate romance is one thing, but Win knows that a real relationship would lead to nothing but trouble. So instead they settle for friendship, with a side of sky-rocketing chemistry. Except for this time, on the French Riviera, something is off. A shocking secret in Leoâs past sets Winâs personal and professional lives on a catastrophic collision course. Behind the scenes of their yacht trips and PDA, the worldâs favorite couple is at each otherâs throats. Now they must finally confront the many truths and lies of their relationship, and Win is forced to consider what is more important: a rising career, or a risky shot at real love?"
8) Act Your Age, Eve Brown by Talia Hibbert
Official Synopsis: "Eve Brown is a certified hot mess. No matter how hard she strives to do right, her life always goes horribly wrong. So sheâs given up trying. But when her personal brand of chaos ruins an expensive wedding (someone had to liberate those poor doves), her parents draw the line. It's time for Eve to grow up and prove herselfâeven though she's not entirely sure howâŠ
Jacob Wayne is in control. Always. The bed and breakfast ownerâs on a mission to dominate the hospitality industry and he expects nothing less than perfection. So when a purple-haired tornado of a woman turns up out of the blue to interview for his open chef position, he tells her the brutal truth: not a chance in hell. Then she hits him with her carâsupposedly by accident. Yeah, right.
Now his arm is broken, his B&B is understaffed, and the dangerously unpredictable Eve is fluttering around, trying to help. Before long, sheâs infiltrated his work, his kitchenâand his spare bedroom. Jacob hates everything about it. Or rather, he should. Sunny, chaotic Eve is his natural-born nemesis, but the longer these two enemies spend in close quarters, the more their animosity turns into something else. Like Eve, the heat between them is impossible to ignore... and itâs melting Jacobâs frosty exterior."
9) The Other Black Girl by Zakiya Dalila Harris
Official Synopsis: "Twenty-six-year-old editorial assistant Nella Rogers is tired of being the only Black employee at Wagner Books. Fed up with the isolation and microaggressions, sheâs thrilled when Harlem-born and bred Hazel starts working in the cubicle beside hers. Theyâve only just started comparing natural hair care regimens, though, when a string of uncomfortable events elevates Hazel to Office Darling, and Nella is left in the dust.
Then the notes begin to appear on Nellaâs desk: LEAVE WAGNER. NOW.
Itâs hard to believe Hazel is behind these hostile messages. But as Nella starts to spiral and obsess over the sinister forces at play, she soon realizes that thereâs a lot more at stake than just her career.
A whip-smart and dynamic thriller and sly social commentary that is perfect for anyone who has ever felt manipulated, threatened, or overlooked in the workplace,The Other Black Girlwill keep you on the edge of your seat until the very last twist."
10) The Guncle by Steven Rowley
Official Synopsis: "Patrick, or Gay Uncle Patrick (GUP, for short), has always loved his niece, Maisie, and nephew, Grant. That is, he loves spending time with them when they come out to Palm Springs for weeklong visits, or when he heads home to Connecticut for the holidays. But in terms of caretaking and relating to two children, no matter how adorable, Patrick is, honestly, overwhelmed.
So when tragedy strikes and Maisie and Grant lose their mother and Patrickâs brother has a health crisis of his own, Patrick finds himself suddenly taking on the role of primary guardian. Despite having a set of âGuncle Rulesâ ready to go, Patrick has no idea what to expect, having spent years barely holding on after the loss of his great love, a somewhat-stalled acting career, and a lifestyle not-so-suited to a six- and a nine-year-old. Quickly realizing that parentingâeven if temporaryâisnât solved with treats and jokes, Patrickâs eyes are opened to a new sense of responsibility, and the realization that, sometimes, even being larger than life means youâre unfailingly human."
11) Girl A by Abigail Dean
Official Synopsis: "Lex Gracie doesnât want to think about her family. She doesnât want to think about growing up in her parentsâ House of Horrors. And she doesnât want to think about her identity as Girl A: the girl who escaped, the eldest sister who freed her older brother and four younger siblings. Itâs been easy enough to avoid her parentsâher father never made it out of the House of Horrors he created, and her mother spent the rest of her life behind bars. But when her mother dies in prison and leaves Lex and her siblings the family home, she canât run from her past any longer. Together with her sister, Evie, Lex intends to turn the home into a force for good. But first she must come to terms with her siblingsâand with the childhood they shared.
What begins as a propulsive tale of escape and survival becomes a gripping psychological family story about the shifting alliances and betrayals of sibling relationshipsâabout the secrets our siblings keep, from themselves and each other. Who have each of these siblings become? How do their memories defy or galvanize Lexâs own? As Lex pins each sibling down to agree to her familyâs final act, she discovers how potent the spell of their shared family mythology is, and who among them remains in its thrall and who has truly broken free."
12) Somebody's Daughter by Ashley C. Ford
Official Synopsis: "Through poverty, adolescence, and a fraught relationship with her mother, Ashley C. Ford wishes she could turn to her father for hope and encouragement. There are just a few problems: heâs in prison, and she doesnât know what he did to end up there. She doesnât know how to deal with the incessant worries that keep her up at night, or how to handle the changes in her body that draw unwanted attention from men. In her search for unconditional love, Ashley begins dating a boy her mother hates. When the relationship turns sour, he assaults her. Still reeling from the rape, which she keeps secret from her family, Ashley desperately searches for meaning in the chaos. Then, her grandmother reveals the truth about her fatherâs incarceration . . . and Ashleyâs entire world is turned upside down.
Somebodyâs Daughtersteps into the world of growing up a poor Black girl in Indiana with a family fragmented by incarceration, exploring how isolating and complex such a childhood can be. As Ashley battles her body and her environment, she embarks on a powerful journey to find the threads between who she is and what she was born into, and the complicated familial love that often binds them."
13) While We Were Dating by Jasmine Guillory
Official Synopsis: "Ben Stephens has never bothered with serious relationships. He has plenty of casual dates to keep him busy, family drama heâs trying to ignore and his advertising job to focus on. When Ben lands a huge ad campaign featuring movie star, Anna Gardiner, however, itâs hard to keep it purely professional. Anna is not just gorgeous and sexy, sheâs also down to earth and considerate, and he canât help flirting a little.
Anna Gardiner is on a mission: to make herself a household name, and this ad campaign will be a great distraction while she waits to hear if sheâs booked her next movie. However, she didnât expect Ben Stephens to be her biggest distraction. She knows mixing business with pleasure never works out, but why not indulge in a harmless flirtation?Â
But their light-hearted banter takes a turn for the serious when Ben helps Anna in a family emergency, and they reveal truths about themselves to each other, truths theyâve barely shared with those closest to them.Â
When the opportunity comes to turn their real-life fling into something more for the Hollywood spotlight, will Ben be content to play the background role in Annaâs life and leave when the cameras stop rolling? Or could he be the leading man she needs to craft their own Hollywood ending?"
14) Velvet Was the Night by Silvia Moreno-Garcia
Official Synopsis: 1970s, Mexico City. Maite is a secretary who lives for one thing: the latest issue of Secret Romance. While student protests and political unrest consume the city, Maite escapes into stories of passion and danger.
Her next-door neighbor, Leonora, a beautiful art student, seems to live a life of intrigue and romance that Maite envies. When Leonora disappears under suspicious circumstances, Maite finds herself searching for the missing womanâand journeying deeper into Leonoraâs secret life of student radicals and dissidents.
Meanwhile, someone else is also looking for Leonora at the behest of his boss, a shadowy figure who commands goon squads dedicated to squashing political activists. Elvis is an eccentric criminal who longs to escape his own life: He loathes violence and loves old movies and rock ânâ roll. But as Elvis searches for the missing woman, he watches Maite from a distanceâand comes to regard her as a kindred spirit who shares his love of music and the unspoken loneliness of his heart.
Now as Maite and Elvis come closer to discovering the truth behind Leonoraâs disappearance, they can no longer escape the danger that threatens to consume their lives, with hitmen, government agents, and Russian spies all aiming to protect Leonoraâs secretsâat gunpoint."
15) The Chosen and the Beautiful by Nghi Vo
Official Synopsis: "Jordan Baker grows up in the most rarefied circles of 1920s American societyâshe has money, education, a killer golf handicap, and invitations to some of the most exclusive parties of the Jazz Age. Sheâs also queer and Asian, a Vietnamese adoptee treated as an exotic attraction by her peers, while the most important doors remain closed to her.
But the world is full of wonders: infernal pacts and dazzling illusions lost ghosts and elemental mysteries. In all paper is fire, and Jordan can burn the cut paper heart out of a man. She just has to learn how.
Nghi Voâs debut novel The Chosen and the Beautifulreinvents the Great Gatsby as a coming-of-age story full of magic, mystery, and glittering excess, and introduces a major new literary voice."