When it comes to the quintessential beach read, you want something that packs a punch of entertainment. A sunny beach is not where you want to be bogged down by sorrow. We can save those for a rainy day! While most people will tell you to read something easy breezy, like a sweet romance novel, I want something with more substance. Now don’t get me wrong, I do enjoy a romance novel on a lovely spring day. But on the beach, I want to be engrossed with a social drama or an intriguing mystery. Salacious gossip is the fuel of summer; it is why Love Island thrives!
Beach reads should have you quickly turning the pages to continue down the story’s path as you flip over to tan the other side of your body. These books should be entertaining, thought-provoking, fast paced, and loaded with intrigue. Novels that keep you enthralled as the sun warms your skin. Pack an umbrella, a towel, snacks, SPF and one of these books for your next beach day!
Stone Cold Fox by Rachel Koller Craft
Stone Cold Fox stars Bea, a lifelong con woman who will do everything in her power to marry into one of the wealthiest families in the country. She is seeking security from her dark past by using her good looks and her wit to secure the life of luxury that “old money” has to offer.
A life of lies begins to catch up to Bea as she seeks approval from Colin’s family. The web she has spun has begun to unravel but Bea isn’t going to go down without a fight.
Stone Cold Fox is written with Bea as the hilarious and rude narrator. She is brutally honest, witty, bitchy, dramatic and conniving. Bea is endlessly entertaining. While I was reading, I kept thinking to myself, “This woman is out of control”. This is the perfect beach read for those who want salacious gossip, a secretive past and social climbing at the heart of the story.
The Wedding People by Alison Espach
Pheobe Stone arrives to the beautiful Cornwall Inn in Rhode Island to treat herself to an extravagant weekend at the hotel she has always dreamed of visiting. She is the only guest at the Inn not attending the wedding happening over the weekend. But Pheobe has felt she has hit rock bottom and is only visiting to have the last weekend of her life be a lavash one. But Pheobe meets the bride-to-be, Lila, and when she hears of Pheobe’s final plan for her life, she will not allow it. Not at her perfect wedding!
Lila quickly inserts herself into Pheobe’s weekend by inviting her to the wedding. The two become fast friends and the “perfect” wedding weekend may not be what either of the women expect.
This book is written with heart and humor. It shows the extremes of emotions, love, loss and life. Even in the tender moments, the tone of this novel is uplifting.
The God of the Woods by Liz Moore
August 1975: Summer camp is in session. A counselor wakes to find one of the campers is missing from their bunk. And of all the kids at camp to be missing, it is the wealthy owner’s daughter, Barbara.
This is all compounded by the fact that this isn’t the first child that the Van Laar family has lost on the wooded grounds. Barbara’s older brother vanished 14 years prior and was never found.
Who could have taken Barbara? Is it a disgruntled camp worker who is mad at the Van Laar family? Or is it the serial killer on the run who is rumored to be heading to the camp after their jailbreak? Is it someone in Barbara’s family? As the frantic search for Barbara ensues, the story of her missing brother begins to unravel.
Liz Moore writes a gripping, multi-layered novel that spans decades. This mystery will have your heart racing to find out the secrets hidden within the woods.
Yellowface by R.F. Kuang
June Hayward and her friend Athena Liu are both authors. But Athena has risen to fame and accolades while June’s career has been stagnant. When June visits Athena, she is shown her newest manuscript for a novel that is sure to be a hit. But Athena has a freak accident and dies right in front of Juniper.
In a split decision, June steals Athena’s manuscript and takes it home to edit and make her own. June changes her name to Juniper Song and releases the novel about Chinese laborers, and it comes as a surprise to many that Juniper is not Asian. As the novel becomes a best seller, many things begin to be questioned about who Juniper Song is and whether this book is truly hers. Juniper feels justified in her actions and will go to extreme lengths to keep the success she feels she deserves. But how far is too far?
This story is a page turner! The novel is extremely modern in its story telling with the use of social media as a catalyst for the gossip mill that is trying to take down Juniper. The pages are loaded with twists and turns and the palpable fear of being caught in a giant lie. It talks on the topics of plagiarism, greed, jealousy, cancel culture and cultural appropriation.
The Girls by Emma Kline
Summer in the late 1960s finds Evie Boyd feeling lonely in the park. There she finds a group of girls who exude freedom and a sense of wild danger. Evie meets the enigmatic Suzanne and quickly becomes obsessed with her. The life of being part of cult draws Evie in.
Deep in the hills lies the cult’s compound. What would be fearsome to most is intoxicating for Evie who is finally feeling the acceptance she has craved. But as the cult and her obsession with Suzanne draw Evie in further, she doesn’t recognize the impending violence looming toward her. Evie must learn that her choices and who she spends her time with can make everything go wrong past the point of no return.
This novel is loosely based on the Manson Family cult. The author depicts a very hot and intense summer making it the perfect beach read. The book is angsty and intense and perfect for those who enjoy something that feels like true crime. The Girls is a visceral and gripping read.
