While this summer looks a little different than our normal idea of the season, quarantine has allowed me to get closer to my reading goal and speed through book after book. A lot of the books I’ve read this year are beach reads, and for good reason; they’re quick, fun and allow me to escape!
Although I’m avoiding crowded areas, I still need my fix of beach reads! This list includes some of my favorite books for this time of year, and is jam-packed with thrillers because something about summer makings reading about murder just…hit different.
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My Lovely Wife – Samantha Downing
If you’re a little twisted like me, reading about normal people who are actually murderers excites you. Don’t judge me! If you’re into that, MY LOVELY WIFE is the perfect thriller for you.
“Our love story is simple. I met a gorgeous woman. We fell in love. We had kids. We moved to the suburbs. We told each other our biggest dreams, and our darkest secrets. And then we got bored. We look like a normal couple. We’re your neighbors, the parents of your kid’s friend, the acquaintances you keep meaning to get dinner with. We all have secrets to keeping a marriage alive. Ours just happens to be getting away with murder.”
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The Mother-in-Law – Sally Hepworth
Another one of my favorite thriller sub-genres is domestic suspense. BEHIND CLOSED DOORS totally lives up to that, and if you’re looking for similar twisted stories, THE MOTHER-IN-LAW by Sally Hepworth is a great recommendation.
“When Diana, the matriarch of the Goodwin family, unexpectedly dies soon after her beloved husband’s death, suicide seems the logical explanation. But the circumstances of her death quickly point to homicide, and too many family members seem to have motives.”
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The Bromance Book Club – Lyssa Kay Adams
Aaand welcome to the first romance book on this list. If you’re looking for a funny, breezy romance book to speed through this summer, definitely pick up THE BROMANCE BOOK CLUB. Hot guys who are vulnerable and read romance novels? Yes, yes and yes! This is a super original second chance love story.
“A baseball player attempts to heal his marriage with the help of his team’s romance-novel book club. Gavin Scott has it all—a killer baseball career, twin daughters, and a devoted wife. But when Gavin discovers that Thea has been faking it in the bedroom, he’s distraught. When Gavin confides in his teammates that his marriage is in trouble, their advice comes from an unconventional source: romance novels.”
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Red, White & Royal Blue – Casey McQuinston
If you’re keeping up with all the hype around this book but haven’t read it yet, trust me when I say the hype is accurate. RED, WHITE & ROYAL BLUE is a flirt, chaotic LGBT romance with some political humor. It’s marked as a YA, but it has some pretty mature themes in it as well, so don’t be turned off by that.
“The much-loved royal romance genre gets a fun and refreshing update in McQuiston’s debut. Alex Claremont-Diaz, son of USA President Ellen Claremont, knows one thing for sure: He hates Henry, the British prince to whom he is always compared. When He lives for their verbal sparring matches, but when one of their fights at a royal wedding goes a bit too far, they end up needing to do damage control. Alex and Henry must pretend to be best friends, but the anger might be a cover for passion. How can American political royalty and actual British royalty ever be together?”
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The Last Time I Lied – Riley Sager
There are a few iconic thriller authors out there, and Riley Sager definitely is at the top of the lost. His books include a perfect balance of psychological twists and real-world action, which is why THE LAST TIME I LIED is the perfect summer thriller. Set at an actual summer camp, it definitely brings creepy vibes in an addicting way.
“Anyone who grew up watching horror movies in the 1980s knows that summer camp can be a dangerous place. It certainly was for Emma Davis during her first stay at Camp Nightingale. The other three girls in her cabin disappeared one night, never to return. Fifteen years have passed, years in which Emma has revisited this ordeal again and again through her work as a painter. When she’s offered another opportunity to spend a summer at the camp, Emma barely hesitates. She’s ostensibly there to serve as an art instructor, but her real mission is to finally find out what happened to her friends.”
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Crazy Rich Asians – Kevin Kwan
No matter whether or not you’ve seen the epic romcom movie version of CRAZY RICH ASIANS, you absolutely need to read this series. This is the perfect binge, and the first book in the trilogy is witty and light. Peering into the lives of the crazy rich is almost like watching a reality show, which makes it such an ideal beach read.
“Crazy Rich Asians is the outrageously funny debut novel about three super-rich, pedigreed Chinese families and the gossip, backbiting, and scheming that occurs when the heir to one of the most massive fortunes in Asia brings home his ABC (American-born Chinese) girlfriend to the wedding of the season.”
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The Hypnotist’s Love Story – Liane Moriarty
No beach reads list is complete without one of my favorite authors, Liane Moriarty. Her books can be read really easily, but I love how they’re pretty complex. Her dialogue and creative characters make the story flow well, and THE HYPNOTIST’S LOVE STORY is no exception. It’s also such an underrated book.
“Ellen O’Farrell is a professional hypnotherapist who works out of the eccentric beachfront home she inherited from her grandparents. It’s a nice life, except for her tumultuous relationship history. When she meets Patrick, she’s optimistic. He’s attractive, single, employed, and best of all, he seems to like her back. Then comes that dreaded moment: He thinks they should have a talk…but Ellen is pleasantly surprised. It turns out that Patrick’s ex-girlfriend is stalking him. Ellen thinks, Actually, that’s kind of interesting. She’s dating someone worth stalking. She’s intrigued by the woman’s motives. In fact, she’d even love to meet her….”
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Honestly, there are a lot of books on this list that I’d love to reread. Beach reads set me in this tranquil space where I feel light and airy, and these recommended reads will absolutely do that for you. Let me know what your favorite beach reads are!
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