We independently evaluate all recommended products and services. If you click on links we provide, we may receive compensation. Learn more. Holidays & Occasions Summer Beach Reads Perfect For Summer 2023 Get your summer reading list ready. By Caroline Rogers Caroline Rogers Caroline Rogers is the Travel and Culture Editor at Southern Living, where she writes and edits travel stories exploring the American South. She joined the magazine in 2016 and since then has reported on the beaches of the Florida Keys, opera in Houston’s Theater District, and waterfalls across West Virginia, among many other spaces and places. Southern Living's editorial guidelines Updated on August 14, 2023 Roberto Moiola/Sysaworld/Getty Images 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 reads by some of our favorite authors coming out this summer, with a few gathered from the past few years too. From debut writers and perennial favorites, 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, 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 best summer ideas and favorite vacation spots to inspire your travels with family and friends this season. Our Top Picks Summer Stage by Meg Mitchell Moore at Amazon ($17) Jump to Review Romantic Comedy by Curtis Sittenfeld at Amazon ($16) Jump to Review Happy Place by Emily Henry at Amazon ($16) Jump to Review Late Bloomers by Deepa Varadarajan at Amazon ($14) Jump to Review Once More with Feeling by Elissa Sussman at Amazon ($11) Jump to Review Family Lore by Elizabeth Acevedo at Amazon ($16) Jump to Review The Celebrants by Stephen Rowley at Amazon ($20) Jump to Review On Fire Island by Jane L. Rosen at Amazon ($21) Jump to Review Meet Me at the Lake by Carley Fortune at Amazon ($11) Jump to Review Pineapple Street by Jenny Jackson at Amazon ($15) Jump to Review Summer Stage by Meg Mitchell Moore Amazon View On Amazon $17 View On Barnesandnoble.com $30 View On Bookshop.org $28 A family of actors encounter more than they bargained for during a summer on Block Island, which finds them mounting a production while dealing with secrets, ambition, and self-discovery. Romantic Comedy by Curtis Sittenfeld Amazon View On Amazon $16 View On Bookshop.org $27 View On Barnesandnoble.com $17 A late-night comedy writer named Sally Milz knows all about rom-coms and has written them off as pure fiction. When a pop star comes to the show and hits it off with Sally, however, she finds herself in just the sort of situation she has always been skeptical of. Happy Place by Emily Henry Amazon View On Amazon $16 View On Barnesandnoble.com $18 View On Bookshop.org $26 Rather than telling their friends they've broken up (and potentially ruining their annual group trip to a cottage in Maine–the last one in fact, as the cottage will soon be sold), an ex-couple pretends to still be together while on vacation. What could go wrong? Late Bloomers by Deepa Varadarajan Amazon View On Amazon $14 View On Barnesandnoble.com $17 View On Bookshop.org $17 This story, the debut novel of Atlanta-based writer Deepa Varadarajan, is a heartwarming journey of self-discovery that finds each member of a family setting out on their own new paths. Suresh and Lata Raman are divorcing and embarking on new relationships after a decades-long arranged marriage, and their children have their own challenges in love. Once More with Feeling by Elissa Sussman Amazon View On Amazon $11 View On Barnesandnoble.com $17 View On Bookshop.org $16 A former pop star who's perfectly fine with her ordinary life is tempted back onto the stage with an offer to star on Broadway. The only catch is that the show involves the man with whom she feuded years earlier. Their chemistry is still palpable, but will things work out this time? Family Lore by Elizabeth Acevedo Amazon View On Amazon $16 View On Bookshop.org $28 View On Barnesandnoble.com $30 Elizabeth Acevedo's new novel tells the story of the lives of several women in a family–sisters, aunts, nieces–one of whom has a gift that prompts her to gather these women together for a living wake, a celebration that might prove life-changing for them all. The Celebrants by Stephen Rowley Amazon View On Amazon $20 View On Bookshop.org $27 View On Barnesandnoble.com $18 In Stephen Rowley's new novel about friendship, loyalty, and the twists life takes, college friends reconnect years after their last gathering and nearly three decades after their graduation. On Fire Island by Jane L. Rosen Amazon View On Amazon $21 View On Barnesandnoble.com $17 View On Bookshop.org $16 A book editor looks back at her life when she chooses to spend one last summer at her family's beloved Fire Island cottage in this new novel about moving on (in more ways than one). Meet Me at the Lake by Carley Fortune Amazon View On Amazon $11 View On Barnesandnoble.com $17 View On Bookshop.org $17 Ten years ago, Fern Brookbanks spent a day on a fateful adventure with Will Baxter. Now she is running her mother's lakeside resort, and nothing in her life is what she'd planned. Cue Will's re-entry; as he shows up in her life again, she might just find a new way forward. Pineapple Street by Jenny Jackson Amazon View On Amazon $15 View On Barnesandnoble.com $17 View On Bookshop.org $27 Set among the monied and privileged families of New York City, this novel explores the life of a family–the Stocktons–that is filled with memorable characters. Following three distinct women in this group, it explores love, relationships, and family crises with a strong dose of humor. The Darlings by Hannah McKinnon Amazon View On Amazon $12 View On Barnesandnoble.com $18 View On Bookshop.org $17 A family teeming with tensions and difficult memories converge at Riptide, the Darling Family's beach house, on the eve of a wedding. Multiple generations are poised to reconnect until a secret resurfaces, threatening to change things for good. Magpie by Elizabeth Day Amazon View On Amazon $15 View On Barnesandnoble.com $18 View On Bookshop.org $17 If you like your beach reads with plenty of suspense, try Elizabeth Day's novel Magpie, a story about a couple who takes in a lodger, Kate, while trying to start a family. They soon find Kate's behavior worrying, leading them to believe all is not as it seems. The Five-Star Weekend by Elin Hilderbrand Amazon View On Amazon $17 View On Barnesandnoble.com $25 View On Bookshop.org $28 After tragedy strikes and her family life grows ever more complicated, a food blogger decides to organize a "five-star weekend" in which she invites friends from different decades of her life to spend time with her. All does not go according to plan, however, when unexpected visitors arrive and secrets begin to surface. Summer on Sag Harbor by Sunny Hostin Amazon View On Amazon $17 View On Barnesandnoble.com $30 View On Bookshop.org $28 In a Long Island enclave on the Sag Harbor sands, a community must challenge the interests of real estate developers who want to change the landscape of their seaside oasis. Fleeing personal turmoil, Olivia Jones moves there for the summer and develops life-changing relationships with the people she meets. The Summer of Songbirds by Kristy Woodson Harvey View On Amazon $17 View On Bookshop.org $27 View On Barnesandnoble.com $19 Equal parts moving and nostalgic, Kristy Woodson Harvey's latest novel is a story of four friends who unite to save a summer camp and find out much more about friendship, love, and their own lives in the process. My Magnolia Summer by Victoria Benton Frank Amazon View On Amazon $17 View On Barnesandnoble.com $27 View On Bookshop.org $28 Women representing three generations of a Southern family are at the heart of this upcoming novel by Victoria Benton Frank, which is set on Sullivan's Island in South Carolina's Lowcountry. In it, histories are uncovered, relationships explored, and new beginnings found. All the Days of Summer by Nancy Thayer Amazon View On Amazon $16 View On Barnesandnoble.com $26 View On Bookshop.org $27 When her life begins to stall, Heather Willette decides to start over by renting a cottage in Nantucket. Her son's girlfriend, who lives nearby, is less than pleased that Heather will be down the road, since the two don't get along. Things might just turn around, though, during this pivotal summer. Yours Truly by Abby Jimenez Amazon View On Amazon $12 View On Barnesandnoble.com $16 View On Bookshop.org $16 Everything is going wrong in Dr. Briana Ortiz’s life when she meets a fellow doctor whose terrible first impression eventually gives way to charming letters, lunch dates, and an offer to save her brother's life. Will things begin to around in her life at last? Save What's Left by Elizabeth Castellano Amazon View On Amazon $15 View On Bookshop.org $25 View On Barnesandnoble.com $26 In Elizabeth Castellano's debut novel, Kathleen Deane gets a new start in a tiny beach town, but the prospect of an idyllic life there turns out to be a bit more complicated than she'd anticipated. The Beach House by Jenny Hale Amazon View On Amazon $11 View On Barnesandnoble.com $14 View On Bookshop.org $14 After her grandmother passes away, Melanie Simpson uses her inheritance to buy a beach house in Rosemary Bay. It's in need of major work, and as she embarks on the renovation, she meets a man and discovers an array of old letters that reveal secrets long hidden. Carrie Soto Is Back by Taylor Jenkins Reid Amazon View On Amazon $14 View On Barnesandnoble.com $18 View On Bookshop.org $17 A retired tennis player who sacrificed a lot to attain her accolades sees her records smashed by another player just six years after she hangs up her racket. She decides to come out of retirement for one last attempt at regaining her title in this recent novel by Taylor Jenkins Reid. By the Book Barnes & Noble View On Amazon $12 View On Barnesandnoble.com $16 View On Bookshop.org $15 Jasmine Guillory's perfectly plotted reads have earned tons of fans, and this recent one, By the Book, tells the story of a woman on a mission to secure a manuscript from a high-profile author—though complications arise as deadlines encroach. One Italian Summer Barnes & Noble View On Amazon $15 View On Barnesandnoble.com $21 View On Bookshop.org $26 Take a trip to the Amalfi Coast in Rebecca Serle's novel One Italian Summer, which is a heartwarming love story about a mother, daughter, and the magic of the Italian seaside. Nora Goes Off Script Barnes & Noble View On Amazon $17 View On Barnesandnoble.com $22 View On Bookshop.org $16 This funny and charming novel tells the story of a divorced screenwriter who pens a script about her failed marriage and finds that it might just provide the fresh start she's looking for. Honey and Spice Barnes & Noble View On Amazon $15 View On Barnesandnoble.com $28 View On Bookshop.org $18 This fun and funny campus novel is set at Whitewell University, where Kiki Banjo, the host of the student radio show Brown Sugar, is determined to help other students find their way through the mess of university dating. Much to her dismay, she soon finds herself in just the kind of romantic situation she opposes. Sophie Go's Lonely Hearts Club Barnes & Noble View On Amazon $12 View On Barnesandnoble.com $17 View On Bookshop.org $16 Professional matchmaker Sophie Go has her work cut out for her when she moves home to Toronto and tries to find work as a matchmaker. She soon meets a group of septuagenarian bachelors and learns about love, loss, and starting over. Book Lovers Barnes & Noble View On Amazon $11 View On Barnesandnoble.com $17 View On Bookshop.org $16 A literary agent heads to Sunshine Falls, North Carolina, with her sisters for a much-needed getaway but finds more than she bargained for in this much-loved novel by Emily Henry. The Startup Wife Barnes & Noble View On Amazon $11 View On Barnesandnoble.com $17 View On Bookshop.org $16 This smart and funny novel by Tahmima Anam is set in the world of tech startups and explores the pressures of love and fame, as well as the challenges of marriage, in an ever-more-modern world. On Rotation View On Amazon $16 View On Barnesandnoble.com $28 View On Bookshop.org $18 If you like your rom-coms set in the medical field (a la Grey's Anatomy), you'll love Shirlene Obuobi's book On Rotation, which finds med student Angie being tested on all fronts as she navigates friendship, love, and family. Part of Your World Amazon View On Amazon $10 View On Barnesandnoble.com $18 View On Bookshop.org $17 This romance read tells the story of an ER doctor from the city who falls for a small-town carpenter ten years her junior as they navigate their differences and try to find a way to bring their worlds together. Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit