13+ Books That Feel Like Summer

The perfect books to read on the beach when you’re enjoying the sandy-footed, golden-hued, sweet popsicle days of summer.

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When you think of summer, you probably conjure lazy, gold-tinged days in the sun.

You think of freedom and friends, fast bike rides and nights under the stars, sandy feet and popsicles, sprinklers and summer camp.

In short: you may think of what summer meant to you as a kid.

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Even though summer as an adult probably isn’t quite as carefree as what you remember from childhood, there’s still a bit of magic that comes to mind when we think of summer.

The days stretch a little longer, and the season seems to exist in its own dimension, pulling us out of the mundane and moving us toward adventure, romance, and dreams.

Whether you’re embracing that summer feel in July or longing for it in December, these books will take you into the sandy-footed, golden-hued, sweet popsicle days of summer.

Books that Capture the Essence of Summer

The Islanders by Meg Mitchell Moore

The Islanders

Author: Meg Mitchell Moore
Publish Date: 2019
Genres: Contemporary Fiction

One summer on Block Island, three strangers’ lives intersect: Joy is a single mom, struggling to keep her pie business afloat; Anthony is an author, brought down by scandal and trying to put himself back together; and Lu is a mom of two young children, struggling with her feelings of discontent and her desire to build a business.

If you’re longing for an island setting, you’ll love visiting Block Island–it’s a change from the wealth that underlies Elin Hilderbrand’s Nantucket, but if you like Hilderbrand, give this one a try–the tone and writing felt very similar.

People We Meet on Vacation by Emily Henry

People We Meet on Vacation

Author: Emily Henry
Publish Date: 2021
Genres: Contemporary Fiction

A When Harry Met Sally-inspired novel about Poppy and Alex, two opposites who have been best friends since college. Every year, they take a vacation together. It was the highlight of their year– until two years ago in Croatia. They’ve hardly spoken since. Now, they’ve joined for another trip to repair their friendship. Alternating between past and present, we see the evolution of Poppy and Alex’s friendship and how they ended up here.

I adored this feel-good book that had me smiling throughout. From the banter to the travel to the devotion between Poppy and Alex, there’s a lot here for people looking for a heartwarming and uplifting read (and for anyone longing for a good vacation!).

The Summer of Songbirds by Kristy Woodson Harvey

The Summer of Songbirds

Author: Kristy Woodson Harvey
Publish Date: 2023
Genres: Contemporary Fiction

Daphne, Lanier, and Mary Stuart have been best friends since they met at camp at the age of six, and Daphne’s aunt June has run the camp for decades. But the camp is in trouble, and the thought of losing the place that brought them together–the place that saved them–is unbearable. As they fight to keep it, they also have to face their pasts and determine how their sun-soaked summer memories fit into their present lives.

This is the PERFECT choice if you’re looking for a nostalgic summer read. As someone who met my own best friend decades ago at summer camp, I was all in on the camp nostalgia, lifelong friendships, and summer memories. This may not resonate with readers who didn’t go to camp, but I highly recommend it for anyone who looks back fondly on summer camp.

The Second Home

Author: Christina Clancy
Narrator: Tavia Gilbert
Publish Date: 2020
Genres: Fiction, Contemporary Fiction

Teens Ann and Poppy are excited to welcome their adoptive brother, Michael, to the family’s summer home on Cape Cod. After his mother’s death, Michael was thrilled to join the Gordon family, despite his non-brotherly feelings for Ann. But a disastrous summer pulls Michael from the family forever, until their parents’ sudden death fifteen years later.

The three are reunited at the summer home to determine its fate. Bitterness and secrets from the past remain, and they are left to untangle what happened then and how they will move forward–as a family or not.


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13+ Books that Feel Like Summer

It's Been a Pleasure Noni Blake by Claire Christian

It’s Been a Pleasure, Noni Blake

Author: Claire Christian
Publish Date: 2021
Genres: Contemporary Fiction

Noni Blake has been nursing some Big Life Hurts, and she’s started looking back on a few things and wondering, “what if?” She decides it’s time to indulge herself, for once in her life, and embark on a 6-month European tour focused on pure pleasure–her own.

Noni’s trip may make you blush (it’s unapologetically racy), but it may also prompt you to examine how well you treat yourself–and whether you might deserve your own version of Noni’s pleasure quest.

The Blue Bistro by Elin Hilderbrand

The Blue Bistro

Author: Elin Hilderbrand
Publish Date: 2010
Genres: Contemporary Fiction, Romance

Adrienne is new to Nantucket and desperately needs a job. Despite her lack of restaurant experience, Thatcher Smith hires her as the hostess. Thatcher himself is intriguing, but so is the talented and notoriously private chef, Fiona. Adrienne falls in love with life in the restaurant, while growing closer to Thatcher and trying to unravel the secrets surrounding Fiona.

This is perfect summer reading/listening; light and easy to follow, with enough gravitas to make me care about what happens next. Also, the food descriptions were mouthwatering!

Beautiful Ruins by Jess Walter, a historical fiction book set in Italy with old-Hollywood ties

Beautiful Ruins

Author: Jess Walter
Publish Date: 2013
Genres: Historical Fiction

From the Italian coast in the 1960s–where a young innkeeper falls in love with a dying starlet–to modern day Scotland and Hollywood, Beautiful Ruins takes us into the stories of people surrounding big stars (Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton, who aren’t central in this book). You’ll love the Italian coastal setting and voyeuristic tour of the people and drama of old Hollywood.

Rock the Boat by Beck Dorey-Stein

Rock the Boat

Author: Beck Dorey-Stein
Publish Date: 2021
Genres: Contemporary Fiction

Three 30-somethings reunite in their New Jersey hometown on the beach after years apart. Kate’s boyfriend broke up with her and she wants him back, while Miles wants to prove to his mother that he can take over the family business. Ziggy never left, but he is in deep mourning for his father, who recently passed and left a hole in his life and the entire community. He is trying to keep their plumbing business afloat.

I loved this beachy read with complicated, flawed, not-always-likable characters. This is Dorey-Stein’s fiction debut–she first made a splash with her memoir of her years as a stenographer in the Obama White House. She has a wonderfully irreverent voice and excels at building a sense of place–essential for a good summer read.

The Summer Wives by Beatriz Williams

The Summer Wives

Author: Beatriz Williams
Publish Date: 2018
Genres: Historical Fiction

The Summer Wives is just what summer reading should be: intriguing, escapist, and smart. The story takes place on Winthrop Island, a summer haven for wealthy families. Miranda Schuyler finds herself immersed in the oppressive, secretive world of the rich when her mother marries Hugh Fisher, one of the island’s wealthy inhabitants. She forms a fast friendship with her reckless new stepsister, Isobel, who has a complicated relationship with Joseph Vargas, the son of the lighthouse keeper.

Miranda’s romance with Joseph culminates in an explosive event that sends him to prison and keeps her from the island for two decades. Upon returning, she finds that old resentments and secrets remain intact and she must dive into them to save Joseph. Both the setting and the rich-family intrigue are draws here, but one of the most interesting aspects is the barely present rich man on whom everything hinges.

Just for the Summer by Abby Jimenez

Just for the Summer

Author: Abby Jimenez
Publish Date: 2024
Genres: Contemporary Fiction, Romance

Emma and her friend Maddy are traveling nurses, moving to new places every few months and never settling anywhere. It suits Emma fine. When she reads a post from a man who says the women he dates always find “the one” after they break up, she responds on a whim and says the same is true for her. They begin texting and she feels pulled to go to Minnesota, where he lives. They agree to date for a short time, with the idea that they will each then meet their “one” after they break up.

It’s a fun summer plan, but it goes sideways when they start to have real feelings. And Justin has complications that Emma is not ready to take on, while Emma’s past makes her just want to run. There aren’t easy answers here, for either Justin or Emma, and this really isn’t a rom-com. It has all the sweetness and banter of a good romance, with the depth that makes Jimenez one of the best of modern romance authors.

Haven Point

Author: Virginia Hume
Narrator: Cassandra Campbell
Publish Date: 2021
Genres: Fiction, Historical Fiction

The exclusive coastal community of Haven Point, Maine has always been insular. When Maren marries Dr. Oliver Demarest in the 1940s, the community is not quick to welcome her, but she eventually finds her place. As the family and community change over decades, a tragedy prompts Maren’s daughter Annie to vow never to return to Haven Point. After Annie’s own tragic death in 2008, her daughter Skye goes to spread her ashes at Haven Point–and finally learns what happened.

This sweeping family story told in alternating timelines over decades is perfect for fans of Elin Hilderbrand. Haven Point is both dreamy and suffocating. Excellent summer historical fiction.

Malibu Rising by Taylor Jenkins Reid

Malibu Rising

Author: Taylor Jenkins Reid
Publish Date: 2021
Genres: Historical Fiction

Every summer, the famous Riva siblings–Nina, Hud, Jay, and Kit–hold THE blowout party of the year at Nina’s Malibu mansion. The siblings–offspring of superstar Mick Riva–battled to get here, and it’s no thanks to their father.

This year, they all approach the party with their own reservations, and by night’s end, their lives will be turned upside down. Moving between the day of the party in 1983 and the decades prior, we learn what brought the siblings to this final spark point.

Taylor Jenkins Reid has delivered another riveting celebrity and family drama (also read Daisy Jones and the Six and The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo, if you haven’t yet).

The Villa by Rachel Hawkins

The Villa

Editor: Rachel Hawkins
Publish Date: 2023
Genres: Mysteries & Thrillers

Emily and Chess have been best friends forever, but lately, things have felt strained. When Chess invites her to stay in a villa in Italy, Emily is hoping the trip repairs their friendship. While there, Emily learns of a murder that took place at a villa in 1974.

She becomes embroiled in the complicated story of sex, drugs, rock and roll–and murder. Determined to find the truth, she starts finding clues hidden throughout the villa. Meanwhile, tensions with Chess continue to rise, and Emily suspects all isn’t as it seems. A little wild, but if you can suspend your disbelief, it’s addictive summer reading.

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