Top 3 Summer Beach Reads You Won’t Want To Put Down
I’ve been a book snob since…well…I’ve learned to read. Reading is my passion, my relaxation, and my escape, and this summer, in my search for excellent books, I found a few you-don’t-want-them-to-end reads that I’m excited to share with you. Here are my three favorites (with links that will take you straight to Amazon in case you want to check them out or snag a copy!)
It’s A Love Story by Annabel Monaghan. I’ve been an Annabel Monaghan fan since she published Nora Goes Off Script in 2022. Her newest book, It’s A Love Story, is a new favorite. It follows Jane Jackson, a former teen sitcom star turned Holloweed executive, who is trying to outlive her past as a “wacky” sitcom character.
Jane and her romantic interests, Dan and Jack, plus the supporting characters, are endearing and relatable. The story reads like an enemies-to-lovers rom-com full of laughter, emotional growth, chemistry, and hope. If you like lighthearted, witty romances with a satisfying emotional payoff, this book delivers.
The Names by Florence Knapp. Random fact about me: my mother planned to name me Margaux during most of her pregnancy and changed her mind at the last minute when she (so the story goes) was watching a television show with a female character everyone kept calling Danny, whose name was Danielle.
Given the choice, I would have preferred to be Margaux over Danielle, and I sometimes wonder if my life would have unfolded differently had I been.
That’s the idea behind his novel. The Names follows three different narratives and life paths of Cora’s son, exploring how each would have been different had he been given a different name. Names are part of the legacy we give our children, and Cora grapples with all that she is passing to her son - the resilience and the trauma.
King of Ashes by S.A. Cosby. I love listening to audiobooks while taking an evening walk, and this one is a great one to get lost in. It’s narrated by Adam Lazarre-White, who has such a sexy baritone that I’d swoon listening to him read an appliance manual.
King of Ashes is gritty, contains a few dead bodies, and is not a light beach read. It’s a story about gangsters, danger, and crime, featuring rich characters and colorful language.
The story centers on Roman, who returns to Virginia to deal with a hospitalized father, a family crematorium, a sister haunted by their mother’s mysterious disappearance, and a brother tangled in the local criminal underworld. The plot moves quickly with heart-pounding twists, and the novel serves as a powerful reminder of how much we are willing to risk to protect those we love. (I rated it a 9 out of 10.)
And that, my friends, is what I’ve been reading this summer. Whether you're lounging poolside, curled up in the A/C, or hiding from family obligations, these three books will keep you company. Each one brings a little something different—laughter, insight, escape—and that’s the beauty of a great summer read. So toss one (or all three) into your beach bag or your nightstand pile and let the stories do what they do best: transport, entertain, and remind you why reading never goes out of season.
Happy summer—and even happier reading.
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