Alison Doherty is a writing teacher and part time assistant professor living in Brooklyn, New York. She has an MFA from The New School in writing for children and teenagers. She loves writing about books on the Internet, listening to audiobooks on the subway, and reading anything with a twisty plot or a happily ever after.
As someone who grew up in California, I firmly believe beach reads should be a year round occurrence. But I don’t live in the land of year-round sunshine anymore. So, I fully understand that it’s midway through August, so it’s time to soak up the last few beach reads of summer while we can. A beach read can mean all kinds of different things to different people. It’s kind of just a book someone reads at the beach … just like a beach body is really just a body that’s at the beach, right?
But my favorite kind of beach reads are books that are set at the beach and have a happy ending (with at least a little romance thrown in). From the luxury of a billionaire’s private island to the glamor of the Gilded Age’s Newport high society to an abandoned Caribbean honeymoon, all of the books on this list deliver sand, sun, and smooching. Friends become lovers. Fake daters catch real feelings. And while sex *on* the beach might not happen, I can guarantee sex *near* the beach occurs in every one of these beachy beach reads.
My Best Friend’s Honeymoon by Meryl Wilsner
When Elsie breaks up with her fiancé, she ends up going on their Caribbean honeymoon with her best friend Ginny. Ginny has been in love with Elsie for years. But after Elsie turned them down in high school, Ginny never expected anything to happen between them. But on the honeymoon, they start playing a game where Elsie gets to ask for whatever she wants. And what she wants is … Ginny. But will the budding romance survive once the honeymoon is over? You all know, this is just a rhetorical question and I would never recommend a book with an unhappy ending.
All Access members read on for more romantic beach reads set at the beach!
Alison Doherty is a writing teacher and part time assistant professor living in Brooklyn, New York. She has an MFA from The New School in writing for children and teenagers. She loves writing about books on the Internet, listening to audiobooks on the subway, and reading anything with a twisty plot or a happily ever after.
Grumpy Fake Boyfriend by Jackie Lau
Will is an extremely introverted science fiction writer who would probably rather poke pencils through his eyes than go on a group trip. But when his best friend asks him to accompany his little sister, Naomi, on a beach vacation with her friends, it’s the one person Will can’t refuse. Naomi needs a fake boyfriend because her ex is bringing a new partner on the trip. And it doesn’t hurt that she’s had a crush on Will forever. This is one of my favorite indie romance novels. It’s a quick read that puts a smile on my face every time I read it.
Like Lovers Do by Tracey Livesay
Nicole is a promising young surgeon who is wrongly fired after disciplining a careless intern, who turns out to be the son of one of the hospital’s biggest donors. Her upstairs neighbor and close friend, Ben, comes from a powerful family in the medical community. He’s supposed to join them for a trip to Martha’s Vineyard, but he finds out his ex-girlfriend has also been invited along. Ben and Nic pretending to be dating on the vacation might be the solution to both of their problems: Ben can hide from his truly vile ex, and Nic can convince his parents to help get her medical career back on track.
The Heiress Hunt by Joanna Shupe
For a historical beach read, check out this Gilded Age Newport Beach romance featuring a female professional tennis player and the black sheep of a tycoon family. Maddie must choose between marrying a duke and Harrison, her childhood best friend who’s returned from three years galavanting in Paris. The history and chemistry between Maddie and Harrison are undeniable. But Maddie doesn’t know if she can trust him not to disappear again. Harrison is hiding the reason his family suddenly wants him to marry an heiress, and how marrying Maddie is part of his plan to get revenge on them. They have to decide if secrets or true love are more important in the end.
These Summer Storms by Sarah MacLean
Alice is the estranged daughter of a billionaire who returns home to their private island off the coast of Rhode Island for her father’s funeral. She hopes it will be a quick trip, but she finds out her one night stand from the train, Jack, is her father’s closest business associate and confidante. Then she finds herself in the middle of an inheritance game, where she must stay on the island with her siblings, mother, and (swoon) Jack in order for any of them to gain their inheritance. This book is technically not a romance novel, but it explores grief and sibling relationships beautifully … and the romance B plot is dreamy enough that I feel confident including it in this list. I’m currently in the middle of reading it for the second time this summer.
Whether you have more beach days planned this summer or you just want to daydream about the ocean while hanging on ’til next year, I hope you enjoy one or more of these beach reads. For more romantic beach reading, check out our picks for the best romance beach reads and these steamy reads for beach reading and beyond.
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