Best Beach Reads 2025
The Ultimate Beach Reads 2025 book list features all the new release books Jackie and I read and loved this year. We also think these books are perfect for the beach or pool. The selection process has become more vigorous than ever, but we wanted to make sure that only the best beach reads are on this list!
Believe it or not, this is my 9th year assembling the best beach reads into one post. Over those 9 years, I’ve learned a thing or two from our readers. You have all told us you don’t love navigating the list and seeing tons of books you can’t yet read.
This year, Ultimate Beach Reads 2025 will be updated 2 times. The first publication will have two books per genre, the update before Memorial Day will add two more books, and finally, right before July 4th, we will release everything else for the rest of the summer. With so many amazing books on this list, you might just need a bigger beach bag.
*Post contains affiliate links. Purchases made through links result in a small commission to us at no cost to you. Some books have been gifted. All opinions are our own.
Beach Reads LIVE
Fiction Beach Reads 2025
Plot
A group of teenagers spends their summer on an abandoned pier where they take solace in their friendship, as they dream of leaving their small town and difficult childhoods. From that friendship comes one of the most famous paintings in the world which, years later, is given to 18-year-old Louisa, an aspiring artist.
After receiving the unexpected item, and struggling with her own feelings of abandonment and homelessness, she embarks on a cross-country journey to find the story behind the painting. What follows is a deep, touching story, of teens forced to grow up too soon, found family, and finding the light in the darkest of times… told as only Backman can write it.
Trigger Warnings
Domestic Violence
Why Kirsten loves it
It took me ages to read this book because of the incredible ruminations on life, love, death, and friendship peppered throughout this treasure of a novel. Numerous times, I would read a sentence, pause, read it again, and then marinate on the token of wisdom that felt like a gift from Backman.
This is not a story to be rushed, but one to be savored. Resoundingly one of my favorites of the year, it’s Backman at his best. #gifted by Simon and Schuster
Find this book in: Books About Art / Friendship Books
Plot
Duc is the founder of a chain of sandwich shops around the country. He has 5 estranged adult children and a wife he has not seen in years. When he decides to retire, he gives conditions to his children. His four daughters must revitalize failing shops within a year, but his only son will inherit everything if he gets married. The catch? Whoever does it first wins the whole inheritance
But the store each sibling is given unlocks bigger mysteries, and soon, everyone will learn the real reasons for this bazaar scheme and the secrets their mother and father kept hidden.
Trigger Warnings
Racism, Hate Crimes
Why Kirsten loves it
I love a sibling drama, but I was not expecting to fall in love with this story so deeply. I didn’t want it to end. I loved each sibling’s journey. I loved learning the back story between Duc and Evelyn…and I craved a Bánh Mì the entire time! Gifted by Simon & Schuster & Simon & Schuster Audio
Find this book in: Sibling Books / Books About Food / Best Beach Reads 2025
Plot
Leah is an OB who has just taken over her family practice when she gets vertigo and collapses. She needs to take a break from work and decides to prove the astrologist who said she is having problems because she is living out of alignment with her star sign, wrong. Her journey takes her all over the world to find her star twins.
She travels to Italy and Turkey while she comes to terms with her life as it is and the mother she thinks abandoned her. She has to examine the choices she made and the things she has sacrificed to please her father. Are these the things she still wants in her life or is there room for more?
Why Jackie loves it
While I was expecting a romance from this book, it was really more of a novel about self-discovery. There was a small romance as a secondary plot point, but the real story is about Leah learning to love herself. Rosen does this in such a fun way that I was so happy to go along with Leah for the journey. It is a perfect book for the beach, but it may make you hungry! #gifted by Putnam
Find this book in: Best Beach Reads 2025
The Road to Tender Hearts
Author: Annie Harnett
Year: 2025
Genre: Fiction
More info: author of Rabbit Cake and Unlikely Animals
Age Range: 18+
Plot
PJ Halliday won a million dollars in the lottery and has done nothing since other than sit in the bar and mourn his bad luck- and he has had his fair share. He lost a daughter, had a terrible divorce, and his health is steadily declining (which is not helped by the fact that he is an alcoholic). To top it off, his ex-wife is marrying his best friend, and they are headed to Alaska for four months- alone.
When PJ sees an obituary of his old rival, he decides to head to the Tender Hearts Retirement Community across the country to win back his high school first crush. It just so happens that he is now the guardian of two young orphans and a cat who can predict death. Oh, and did I mention that he cannot drive because he had his license revoked after his last DUI? Enter his daughter as the driver!
Trigger Warnings
Death of a parent, murder, suicide, drug use
Why Jackie loves it
Although this book deals with a lot of serious topics, it does it in a way that is heartwarming and funny. I laughed my way through this book, which is a series of one disaster after another. On the surface, this book should not work; however, it is a literary wonder. I absolutely loved this poignant, wonderful book. It is one of my favorites of the year, and you will hear me talk about it!
Find this book in: Books About Addiction / Beach Reads 2025
Finding Grace
Author: Loretta Rothschild
Year: 2025
Genre: Literary Fiction Romance
Spice Rating:💋💋
Age Range: 16+
Plot
Honor, her husband, Tom, and their daughter Chloe seem like a perfect family. Still, Honor and Tom’s marriage is beginning to show the strains of repeated fertility issues, when something catastrophic happens that will forever alter their future.
Years later, Tom makes a decision that will impact every aspect of his life as he manipulates information, hides truths, and flat-out lies his way into someone’s orbit because of their connection with is family.
Trigger Warnings
Infertility
Why Kirsten loves it
I can’t say much about this story without ruining it, but I will say this. The end of the first chapter had me re-reading because I was so shocked. I cried, I winced, and I felt every moment of this deeply moving literary romance in my bones. I’ve never read a story quite like it. It will be one of my favorite books of the year. I just know it. #Gifted by St. Martins Press
Find this book in: Books About Mothers / Beach Reads 2025
Park Avenue
Author: Renée Ahdieh
Year: 2025
Genre: Fiction
Age Range: 16+
Plot
Jia Song is a hardworking, gifted lawyer and the youngest junior partner in her firm. In order to get to the next step, she must help the Park family uncover the money their billionaire father is trying to swindle his ex-wife and kids out of. Her hunt to win the case sends her jet-setting across the globe on behalf of the Park children. Oftentimes she is accompanied by their handsome house manager. Is he assisting the patriarch of the family or is he as unbiased as he seems?
Why Kirsten loves it
This was a literary popcorn treat, smartly done, well-written, highly entertaining, and absolutely perfect for summer reading. This will be a go-to beach read recommendation this year because Ahdieh melds the opulent world of Manhattan’s elite with the sharp, cunning of Jia Song’s legal prowess, to create a story perfect for fans of Suits, Gossip Girl, and Partner Track. #gifted by PRH Audio
Find this book in: Best Beach Reads 2025 / Books Set in New York
Historical Fiction Beach Reads 2025
Atmosphere
Author: Taylor Jenkins Reid
Year: 2025
Genre: Historical Fiction
More info: June 2025 Good Morning America Book Club Pick
Spice Rating:💋
Age Range: 16+
Plot
Joan is a professor of physics and astronomy at Rice University, and she sees an advertisement for women to join the NASA space shuttle program. She applies and is chosen from thousands of applicants. She begins training in the summer of 1980 and forms deep friendships with the other astronauts in the program.
In December 1984, everything changed on mission STS-LR9. The book alternates between Joan’s application to the space program and her years of training, and the present mission in which there is an accident in space with Joan at mission control.
Why Jackie loves it
This book sucked me in from the first page. It’s crazy to think how far we have come in some ways and how stagnant we are in others. The amount of sexism that these women had to overcome to be in the space program felt personal but not exaggerated. #gifted
Find this book in: Taylor Jenkins Reid Books Ranked / Books Like Lesson in Chemistry / Beach Reads 2025/ Books Set in the 80s.
Under the Stars: A Novel
Author: Beatriz Williams
Year: 2025
Genre: Dual Timeline Fiction
More info: Bestselling Author of Husbands & Lovers
Spice Rating:💋💋
Age Range: 18+
Plot
This is a dual-timeline book that follows three women’s stories in New England. Meredith Fisher was once a famous movie star who needs to return to her home in New England to sober up and revive her acting career. We see Meredith now, and when she was younger, before she became a mom
Her daughter, Audrey Fisher, has made a life for herself as a chef but agrees to go to the family home with her mom, whom she calls by her first name. When Audrey discovers an old trunk filled with paintings from a great American artist, they wonder how these ended up in their cellar.
In 1846, Providence Dare fled Boston on the steamship Atlantic. When the ship hits a storm and is rendered helpless, Providence must find a way to escape the boat- especially since a detective is onboard and he is investigating the suspicious death of her employer, the painter Henry Irving.
Trigger Warnings
Alcohol Abuse
Why Jackie loves it
I love the way Williams writes her novels. She seamlessly integrates the timelines, and her characters are so real. Their flaws are what bring them together and make the relationships so relatable, even if the circumstances are not (I have never found a trunk of artwork). The narrative is unputdownable and I keep wondering why I only started reading Williams last year. Thank you, PRH Audio, for my copy of this book #gifted.
Find this book in: Best Beach Reads 2025 / Books About Mothers and Motherhood
The Story She Left Behind
Author: Patti Callahan Henry
Year: 2025
Genre: Historical Fiction
More info: Beyond the Bookends Most Anticipated Book March 2025
Spice Rating:💋
Age Range: 14+
Plot
In 1927, When Clara Harrington was 8 years old, her mother disappeared off the coast of South Carolina. Bronwyn Newcastle Fordham was an author renowned for the book she wrote when she was 12 years old. The follow-up to the book, written in her mother’s made-up language, sat untranslated because the dictionary disappeared along with Bronwyn.
Now in 1952, Clara is a mother and illustrator. She is contacted by Charlie Johnson in London, who claims to have a handwritten dictionary in her mother’s lost language. Clara must travel to London to retrieve the dictionary and finally get some answers.
She travels with her asthmatic daughter by boat only to arrive at the start of The Great Smog.
Why Jackie loves it
This book was more than I could have hoped for. It was absolutely captivating from the first word to the last. I listened and read this book at the same time because I could not get enough. I loved the story, but loved it even more when I found out that Bronwyn was based on the life and disappearance of Barbara Newhall Follett. There are also references to Beatrix Potter. This book is a must for any book lover. It reads like a love letter to language.
Find this book in: The Ultimate List of Books About Books / Beach Reads 2025
The Library of Lost Dollhouses
Author: Elise Hooper
Year: 2025
Genre: Historical Fiction
Spice Rating:💋💋
Age Range: 16+
Plot
Tildy Barrows is the head curator of an archival library in San Francisco. When she learns that the library is on the verge of bankruptcy, she is determined to do something to save the library. And then inspiration strikes when she discovers two beautiful dollhouses. She believes if she can find out more about their history and the mystery behind them, they might become a moneymaking exhibit for the museum.
The story then flashes back to Cora Hale and her story, set on the cusp of WWI when she’s starting her journey to become a premier minaturist to the aristocrats of Europe.
The journey spans across time and the globe as Cora’s artist life flourishes and Tildy looks for answers. Belle Époque Paris, the English countryside during wartime, and Walt Disney’s studios in the 1950s are just some of the places you’ll explore while reading this story.
Why Kirsten loves it
I ADORED this unique novel and its female protagonists. I was as connected with Tildy’s search for answers as I was with Cora’s quest to follow her passion. There are love stories in both timelines that feel authentic and add layers to the novel in a natural way. I was sad to turn the last page of this book, but I know I’ll be recommending it for years to come! #Gifted by Harper Audio
Find this book in: Best Historical Fiction Novels / Beach Reads 2025
The Book Club for Troublesome Women
Author: Marie Bostwick
Year: 2025
Genre: Historical Ficiton
Age Range: 16+
Plot
It is 1960, and Margaret Ryan seems to have it all. But the house, husband, three kids, and prestigious neighborhood don’t feel like enough for her or her friends Viv and Bitsy. Margaret decides to start a book club as an excuse to meet their newest neighbor, Charlotte, and soon they discover that they want more from the life they have been told is the American dream.
Why Kirsten loves it
Women supporting other women is always a theme I love to see in literature. In a time when a woman couldn’t open her own checking account without her husband’s permission, that theme is crucial for each of these women. As they individually deal with stepping into the limelight and out of the shadows, collectively they support and uplift each other when each stumbles.
I loved the peek into the past and comparing it to how far we’ve come as a country towards women’s rights (a trend I hope doesn’t backslide.) The friendships, drama, and descriptions in this story kept me riveted. It’s one of my favorite books of the year for sure!
Why Jackie loves it
I could not wait to read this book and it did not disappoint me. I loved the relationship between the women and I love the fact that their relationship starts with a book club. It is uplifting to see positive and supportive female relationships. I have been loving historical fiction novels this year and this one is a must-read. The audiobook version of this book was a delight to listen to #gifted
Find this book in: Books about Friendship / Books Set in the 1960s / Best Beach Reads 2025
Austen at Sea
Author: Natalie Jenner
Year: 2025
Genre: Historical Fiction
Spice Rating:💋
Age Range: 16+
Plot
Charlotte and Henrietta Stevenson have accomplished as much as they can as women in 1865. They have been corresponding with Sir Frances Austen, Jane Austen’s brother, who is in his 90s, and he has invited them to England. Nicholas and Haslett Nelson are brothers who are rare book dealers and have also been invited to England by Sir Francis Austen.
The sisters sneak away to sail to England without a chaperone. The Nelson brothers, Louisa May Alcott, Sara-Beth Gleason, and Justice Thomas Nash are all on the ship with the sisters. This is just the beginning of the story.
We follow the characters at sea and in England, where the sisters find themselves navigating more than just Jane Austen. We also get a behind-the-scenes look at a group of justices who have weekly meetings to discuss Austen’s works.
Why Jackie loves it
I love the fact that the book was inspired by actual correspondence between Admiral Sir Frances Austen and two Boston sisters, as well as two Philadelphia book dealers. The book is a wonderful tribute to Jane Austen. I also loved “meeting” Louisa May Alcott before she became a famous writer. I loved the Audio version of this book as well. #gifted
Find this book in: Best Beach Reads 2025 / Boat Books
Summer Fiction 2025
These Summer Storms
Author: Sarah Maclean
Year: 2025
Genre: Fiction
Spice Rating:💋💋💋
Age Range: 18+
Plot
Alice Storm has not returned to her family’s private island vacation home since she wanted a life outside of the Storm family’s billions and her father’s control. When her father dies unexpectedly, she returns home to for his funeral and discovers he has plans from beyond the grave. He had created an inheritance game where Alice, her siblings (Greta, Sam, and Emily), and her mother must complete tasks to earn their inheritance, and they ALL have to complete their tasks or no one receives anything.
Alice’s task is to remain on the island for a full week – a challenging task given that her family hasn’t spoken with her since her father cut her off. Secrets will be revealed, and the family will either come together or split for good. And when her father’s second-in-command shows up to enforce the rules, the chemistry he has with Alice might become a problem.
Why Kirsten loves it
Every member of this uber-rich family is INSUFFERABLE in the absolute most delicious way possible. If you like shows like White Lotus or The Sirens, I think you will be able to picture exactly the kinds of people I’m talking about. I loved Alice’s struggle to do what her moral compass was telling her to do (run for the hills) and wanted to stay to give her family what they so desperately wanted – the money, when really she just wants to feel important and valued.
The romantic element of the story was steamy and quite a great sidequest, but it was the family struggles that had me squirming in my seat with anxiety, flipping through the pages at warp speed. This is a DELICIOUS summer read.
Find this book in: Beach Reads 2025 / Family Dramas
The Martha’s Vineyard Beach and Book Club
Author: Martha Hall Kelly
Year: 2025
Genre: Historical Fiction
Spice Rating:💋💋
Age Range: 16+
Plot
This is a dual-timeline narrative that takes place in 2016 and 1942. Mari Starwood has gone to Martha’s vineyard from Califonia after the death of her mother. She is looking for answers with only the name of a famous painter as a clue.
The Smith girls are trying to hold their family together during WWII. Cadence and her best friend Bess start a book club which grows in members and popularity, while Cadence’s sister, Briar, is off snooping and spying. When a man washes ashore, he says there is a spy among them and the girls don’t know who to trust.
Trigger Warnings
War
Why Kirsten loves it
I loved learning about the impact of WWII on Martha’s Vineyard. I had no idea about the D-day drills or what life was like for the women on the island with the men off at war. Each character’s storyline was intriguing, though the 2016 narrative didn’t add much to the story, it DID help resolve a few wartime secrets in the present day. #gifted by PRH Audio
Find this book in: Best Beach Reads 2025 / WWII Books
One Golden Summer
Author: Carley Fortune
Year: 2025
Genre: Romance
More info: #1 New York Times Bestselling Author
Spice Rating:💋💋💋💋
Age Range: 18+
Plot
Alice is a photographer who has lost her drive and vision for her art. She longs for the inspiration she felt when she was behind the lens the summer she was 17. That summer, she spent time at the lake with her Nan and took a photo of three teens in a yellow boat – the picture that ultimately changed her life and jump-started her career.
Now, her Nan is recovering from a broken hip, and Alice takes her back to the lake at Barry’s Bay so Nan can recover. Alice immediately sees Charlie, one of her photography subjects, in the same yellow boat. She is shocked to discover he is helping out as her rental cabin’s caretaker for the summer. When he discovers her summer bucket list to restart her inspiration, he is determined to help her check off every box.
Why Kirsten loves it
I’m clearly living under a rock because I didn’t realize that this is the same Charlie from Carley’s breakout hit Every Summer After. I ADORED this book just as much as I adored that one. Alice and Charlie’s chemistry was organic and off the charts. Both characters showed so much growth throughout the summer that I couldn’t help but cheer them on and it was great to get a peek at what Percy and Sam are up to as well.
Find this book in: Carley Fortune Books in Order / Best Beach Reads 2025
Songs of Summer
Author: Jane L. Rosen
Year: 2025
Genre: Romance
More info: Fire Island Book 3 of 3
Spice Rating:💋
Age Range: 16+
Plot
Maggie May Wheeler owns the record shop that was her parents before they both passed away. Now, before she gets engaged to her childhood best friend, she wants to find her birth mother. The search leads her to Fire Island, where her mother is a guest at a wedding. She wants to find out more about the women who gave her up.
When she arrives at Fire Island, a local invites her to the wedding as his date, and the two have immediate chemistry. Maggie is immediately torn between her feelings for this new man and the man at home, who is family to her.
Meanwhile, on Fire Island, we get to visit with old favorites like Ben, Addison, and Shep, and meet some wonderful new characters like his two daughters, Beatrix and Victoria.
Why Jackie loves it
I love Fire Island and the characters, and this book did not disappoint. The book is perfect for the beach with a storyline that is full of heart, but never too much. My favorite touch is that each chapter is the title of a song and there are fantastic tracks. Someone created a Spotify playlist, and I highly suggest putting it on while reading the book. It is literally the soundtrack of summer!!!
Find this book in: Best Beach Reads 2025
Beach House Rules
Author: Kristy Woodson Harvey
Year: 2025
Genre: Fiction
More info: New York Times Bestselling author
Spice Rating:💋
Age Range: 14+
Plot
Charlotte Sitterly has reached a low point when she enters the bank begging for a job after she and her daughter, Iris, have been locked out of their house by the FBI. She is surprised when Alice, a local “black widow,” invites her and Iris to come stay at her house. Charlotte accepts and finds herself living at the “mommune”.
They are surprised at how much they enjoy their time together as they figure out their next steps. The mommune decides to convince Juniper Shore that Charlotte’s husband is innocent. Iris decides to do some sleuthing of her own to prove her father’s innocence. Meanwhile, they are all in the spotlight thanks to @JuniperShoreSocialite, an account that seems to have eyes everywhere.
Why Jackie loves it
I am being honest when I say there is nothing Kristy can write that I will not read! Every one of her books captures family relationships and dynamics like nobody else. This book captured friendship, family, and mother/ daughter relationships perfectly. It was sweet, funny, emotional, and a total page-turner. Gifted by Simon & Schuster Audio
Find this book in: Books About Mothers and Motherhood / Friendship Books / Books Set at the Beach
The Summer We Ran
Author: Audrey Ingram
Year: 2025
Genre: Fiction
More info: July Bonus Beyond the Bookends Book Club Pick
Spice Rating:💋💋💋
Age Range: 18+
Plot
In the summer of 1996, Tess Murphy and Grant Alexander fell in love despite coming from different worlds, but a tragedy tore them apart. Now, 20 years later, they are both running for Governor of Virginia, and secrets from their past threaten their chances of winning. As the campaign unfolds, they must confront what really happened that summer and whether their past will define their future.
Trigger Warnings
Abortion Discussion
Why Kirsten loves it
I loved this look at young love and the way it can forever impact our lives. It also has a healthy discussion around abortion and examines both political sides of the argument in a way that feels authentic and real. This will be great for book club discussions! #gifted by Zibby Publishing
Find this book in: Best Beach Reads 2025 / Books with Summer in the Title
Sweet Romance Beach Reads 2025
Plot
Katie Vaughn is a video producer about to lose her job. So she decides to take a job profiling a Coast Guard rescue swimmer named Hutch. The only problem is that Katie cannot swim- nothing she can’t fake, right? Next thing she knows, she is dealing with helicopter flights, conga lines, a rescue Great Dane, and Hutch’s Aunt Rue. She’s also facing her body issues head-on and helping Hutch reconnect with her boss, and his brother, Cole.
Trigger Warnings
Body Disorder
Why Kirsten loves it
I love the crazy antics of this book, the setting of the Florida Keys, and the quest for Katie to come into her own. Hutch is pretty dreamy, too. But my favorite part was Katie learning to accept and LOVE her body after the shameful way she had been body shamed in the past. #Gifted by Macmillan
Find this book in: Best Beach Reads 2025 / Novels About Weather
Plot
Charlie is a talent agent and needs to find someone to “play” the author of a romance novel on a summer book tour. As soon as Kate Elliot reads the book, she feels a connection and wants this job. When she gets it, she knows that this is the role of a lifetime and this book will be huge. She needs to do interviews, book signings, and make appearances, all while pretending to be an author she has never met.
As the book soars to the top of the bestseller list, Kate’s obligations towards this book grow and she starts to feel like maybe this was more than she bargained for. But, Charlie is by her side doing more than is strictly necessary to make her feel at ease.
Why Jackie loves it
I love romance books about authors and this one was no exception. It is a slow-burning romance (as the title suggests) and I was all for it. I listened to this book and loved every minute and Kate and Charlie teeter on the line between their business and personal relationship. I also loved how much Kate adored and protected the book she did not write. Thank you PRH audio #gifted.
Find this book in: Best Beach Reads 2025 / Romance Books About Books
Plot
Zeke is home to buy his late father’s boat, while Lexi has no time for dating. A one-night stand seems perfect until neither of them tied the boat house to the dock, and they find themselves miles out at sea in the morning. Now, they are stuck together while they try and get back to shore.
Why Kirsten loves it
I love how Zeke and Lexi’s relationship developed throughout their time at sea. Not only were they compatible in a crisis, but their slow-burn chemistry was paced in a way that felt realistic to the situation. I would NOT recommend this book for those afraid of boats, but I think it’s a delightful romance worth throwing in your beach bag this summer! #gifted by PRH Audio
Find this book in: Boat Books / Best Beach Reads 2025
It’s a Love Story
Author: Annabel Monaghan
Year: 2025
Genre: Romance
More info:
Spice Rating:💋💋
Age Range: 16+
Plot
Jane Jackson is a former child star who was the butt of jokes on a popular sitcom. Now, to get her career back on track, she has to convince her first kiss, Jack, to write a song for a movie so she can make the movie of her dreams. Unfortunately, Jack is now the biggest rock star in the world. Dan Finnegan is a cinematographer who also wants the movie made and agrees to bring Jane to his childhood home, where Jack is rumored to be holding a concert. Jane and Dan agree that they can get along for the week for the sake of work, even if all they do is argue.
Why Jackie loves it
I loved getting to know Jane and Dan. They are both complex characters who grow throughout the book. It is such a sweet romance that makes reference to favorite movies like “The Notebook”. I could not put this down and it may just be my favorite book Ms. Monaghan has written. #Gifted
Find this book in: Beach Reads 2025 / Annabel Monoghan Books
Sounds Like Love
Author: Ashley Poston
Year: 2025
Genre: Romance
More info: Bestselling author of Seven Year Slip
Spice Rating:💋💋💋
Age Range: 18+
Plot
Joni Lark is a hit songwriter in LA who has had writer’s block for the last 10 months, since her mom’s Alzheimer’s diagnosis. She is returning home, to North Carolina, for the summer and hopes to find inspiration.
When she arrives, she realizes that if she wants to cure her writer’s block, she might have to confront the things she has been avoiding while living in LA. To make matters more complicated, she has an earworm of a half-formed song in her head and the voice of a stranger in there as well. Joni is shocked to learn the voice belongs to a real person–someone named Sasha. They agree to finish the song that is haunting both their thoughts, but in doing so, they realize there might be more than just the song bringing them together.
Trigger Warnings
Early Onset Alzheimer’s
Why Jackie loves it
Ashley Poston has become a must-read author for me. Her stories are so unique and I love that there is a touch of magic in each one. I loved the connection between Joni and Sasha. It felt like these two complemented each other so well and communicated- (telepathy makes that a must). Poston’s romances lie somewhere between sweet and steamy.
Find this book in: Best Beach Reads 2025 / Ashley Poston Books Ranked
Maid for Each Other
Author: Lynn Painter
Year: 2025
Genre: Romance
More info: New York Times Bestselling author of Happily Never After
Spice Rating:💋💋
Age Range: 18+
Plot
Abi is a student and cleaner who is forced to evacuate her house due to an infestation and cannot afford a hotel. She knows that the owner of a penthouse she cleans is out of town and decides to stay at his house while he is away.
It is all going fine until his parents come to the apartment and think she is Declan’s girlfriend. He decides to make a proposition- pretend they are together to get his parents off his back, and he will pay for all her living expenses during the arrangement. But soon, Abi and Declan start to actually feel things for each other and the arrangement becomes complicated.
Why Jackie loves it
This book gave me “Pretty Woman” vibes, even though Vivienne and Abi have different professions. Two rich men who want to employ a smart woman as a no-drama girlfriend. This book was sweet and fun. I liked Declan and appreciated he was written as a respectful, thoughtful character- I was not uncomfortable with the power dynamic. Thank you Berkley for my copy of this book. #gifted
Find this book in: Best Beach Reads 2025
Steamy Romance Beach Reads 2025
Promise Me Sunshine
Author: Cara Bastone
Year: 2025
Genre: Romance
Spice Rating:💋💋💋
Age Range: 18+
Plot
In this wonderful romance story, Bastone deals with the heavier topic of grief as our main character Lenny is still distraught by the death of her best friend. As a temporary nanny, she meets Miles, her charge’s uncle, who is newly involved in his half-sister’s life and looking to connect with his neice.
As Lenny helps Miles connect with his new family, he helps her tackle her grief head on, making himself available to her at all hours of the day when she’s at her lowest. Their love story grows from a place of truly seeing each other.
Trigger Warnings
Grief
Why Kirsten loves it
This book broke my heart and put it back together again. The tenderness and compassion I had for all the characters while reading this delightful story really speaks to the author’s talent. I cried numerous times while reading because their sorrow felt like my own and so did their happiness. It was a marvelous book.
Find this book in: Best Beach Reads 2025 / Books About Grief
Where You’re Planted
Author: Melanie Sweeney
Year: 2025
Genre: Romance
Spice Rating:💋💋💋
Age Range: 18+
Plot
Tansy Perkins is a librarian and single mom. When a hurricane damages her library, she has to set up a temporary branch in the county botanical gardens. Jack Reid is the assistant director and a grouchy person on a regular day, but when librarians take over his space, he is even more of a curmudgeon.
Jack and Tansy need to work together on the spring festival to raise money. They need to get the library back in working order and restore the plants that were destroyed in the hurricane. Soon sparks fly in this steamy, grumpy-sunshine romance.
Trigger Warnings
Hurricane and aftermath
Why Jackie loves it
Tansy is optimistic without being unrealistic. I liked that she felt like a real person with real problems so I was rooting for her to find love and a happy ending!
Find this book in: Grumpy Sunshine Trope Books / Best Beach Reads 2025
Say You’ll Remember Me
Author: Abby Jimenez
Year: 2025
Genre: Romance
More info: New York Times Bestseller
Spice Rating:💋💋💋
Age Range: 18+
Plot
Samantha and Xavier’s meet-cute isn’t one you’ve ever read before. Her rescue kitten needs surgery for its bottom, and Xavier, the vet, isn’t exactly nice about how he delivers. After Samantha is able to fund the expensive surgery (and Xavier contributes to her go-fund me), she’s back in his office and he’s asking her on a date.
And what an EPIC first date it is. The catch? She’s moving to LA in the morning to help care for her mom, who is suffering from early-onset dementia, and he’s deeply in debt with the opening of his vet clinic. But they can’t seem to get one another out of their heads.
Trigger Warnings
Dementia, Mentions of Child Abuse
Why Kirsten loves it
I’m a recent convert to the Abby Jimenez craze, and this book didn’t disappoint! I cried, I giggled, I swooned. It was so nice to see a healthy relationship tackling something as relatable as the challenge of long distance. It’s a great one for the beach and has my favorite written first date ever! #gifted by PRH Audio
Find this book in: Best Beach Reads 2025
Wild and Wrangled
Author: Lyla Sage
Year: 2025
Genre: Romance
More info: Rebel Blue Ranch #4
Spice Rating:💋💋💋💋
Age Range: 18+
Plot
Cam has just been left at the altar, and now she needs to start her life with her daughter all over again. There to help her pick up the pieces as a friend and landlord? Her ex-love, Dusty, who has never gotten over her. As Cam works to figure out life with her daughter, she also needs to determine Dusty’s place in it.
Why Kirsten loves it
This was a great conclusion to the series, and I love that we got to wrap it all up in the epilogue. #gifted by PRH Audio
Find this book in: Beach Reads 2025
Change of Heart
Author: Falon Ballard
Year: 2025
Genre: Magical Realism romance
Spice Rating:💋💋
Age Range: 18+
Plot
Campbell Andrews has woken up in her version of hell. After a disastrous blind date that her grandmother set up, she wakes up in the sweetest town with happy people, festivals, and lovely little businesses. She is supposed to be in the biggest meeting of her life, not stuck here with her blind date living next door! In order to get back to her real life as a partner at a law firm, she will have to fulfill three tasks, one of which is falling in love.
Campbell doesn’t believe in love and cannot imagine that she will ever get out of her personal nightmare (think Hallmark movie)
Why Jackie loves it
This is a delightful and unexpected read. I love the setting of a small town for a love story and I loved how Campbell finds herself. I don’t want to spoil anything but this is the perfect book to read for Valentine’s Day #gifted
Find this book in: Beach Reads 2025
Problematic Summer Romance
Author: Ali Hazelwood
Year: 2025
Genre: Romance
Spice Rating:💋💋💋💋💋
Age Range: 18+
Plot
Maya is trying to figure out what to do with her life. She is 23, brilliant, and torn between doing what she loves and what she thinks is expected of her as a grad student. Conor is 38 and her brother’s best friend.
Over the past three years, Maya and Conor have developed a close friendship that feels like more, but they have not spoken in 10 months.
When the two of them wind up in Italy together for Maya’s brother’s wedding, they will have to work things out and see if there is any hope for a relationship between them.
Trigger Warnings
Parental Loss
Why Jackie loves it
I loved that, even though this is an age-gap romance, there was no power dynamic at play either. The characters complemented each other so that they were each supporting the other in the way they needed it most. It was refreshing to see a healthy relationship despite both characters having flaws
Find this book in: Ali Hazelwood Books Ranked / Books Set in Italy / Books With Summer in the Title / Best Beach Reads 2025
Thriller Beach Reads 2025
Everyone is Lying to You
Author: Jo Piazza
Year: 2025
Genre: Thriller
Spice Rating:💋💋
Age Range: 16+
Plot
Lizzie and Bex were best friends until Bex disappeared after college graduation. Now, fifteen years later, Bex has transformed into a “traditional” wife and influencer with millions of followers, a ranch, a husband named Gray, and a brood of children. When Bex calls Lizzie to invite her to do an exclusive interview, it may be the big break her career needs.
Curious about not just the exclusive, but also why Bex abruptly ended their friendship, Lizzie heads to the MomBomb conference to reconnect with her. But when Gray is found murdered and Bex goes missing, Lizzie finds herself in a world of momfluencers and backstabbing.
Trigger Warnings
Infertility
Why Kirsten loves it
A #tradwife murder mystery from the amazing Jo Piazza? Yes, please!!! Jo is a genre-shape shifter who can effortlessly amp up the suspense factor while pulling back the curtain of influencing. I’m not sure what impressed me more, that BANANAS ending or the social commentary on Tradwives and the lies we are all sold by the influencers of the world.
This is the chocolate-covered bonbon of a book that only Jo could write. I guarantee you will be on the edge of your seat as you reevaluate all you know about influencers. #gifted by Dutton
Find this book in: Beach Reads 2025
Plot
When Odelia travels to a posh resort with her grown children, she’s on cloud 9, about to marry her much younger fiance. But her children each take issue with the match, as well as their mother’s recent actions running the family business. When she turns up dead, the story plunges back in time to a few days before where each guest and even a staff member narrate the story and each has a reason to want Odelia dead.
Family secrets are revealed, shocks are in store, and with a full cast of audio narrators, this story is perfect for reading or listening by the pool.
Why Kirsten loves it
After a string of bad thrillers, I finally found a great one! With so many twists in the book, I found it impossible to guess them all! I read this during a mid-spring heatwave and realized the South African safari resort setting made for perfect hot weather bingeing. #gifted by Simon and Schuster Audio
Find this book in: Novels About Africa / Beach Reads 2025
Plot
Nina Swann is trying to move on after the tragic death of her husband. When she receives a note from Nick Radcliffe, the two connect and begin to see each other. Nina’s daughter, Ash, suspects something is off about Nick and starts digging into his past.
Meanwhile, Martha, a florist with a young child, starts to become suspicious of her husband, Alistair. Once devoted and attentive, he now has frequent absences for work, sometimes for days at a time.
As the stories come together, so do the lives of all the women in the story.
Why Jackie loves it
Lisa Jewell created a twisty thriller with this newest book and I could not put it down. I also did not guess how the lives of the women would intersect. This book is a perfect beach thriller and Jewell’s best book yet. Thank you, Simon & Schuster Audio #gifted.
Find this book in: The Best Lisa Jewell Books Ranked / Beach Reads 2025
Plot
Three longtime childhood friends reconnected via text and are finally getting together for a girl’s weekend in the Hamptons. But when someone they pulled a prank on during their weekend getaway is found murdered, May, Kelsey, and Lauren all begin to suspect each other of keeping secrets.
Why Kirsten likes it
The first thriller I read in 2025 is a definite contender for our yearly beach reads post. Between the setting and the quick pace, it’s a perfect one to throw in a beach bag. #gifted by PRH Audio
Find this book in: Books Set at the Beach / Best Beach Reads 2025
Plot
Libby, Blane, Mark, Felix, and Stella are known as The Five by reporters and TikTokkers alike after they go missing from a small private college in Northern California, on parents’ weekend. What happened to them? Agent Keller is hoping to find out just that.
Told from the perspective of each family and Agent Keller, this beachy thriller has multiple points of view and a load of secrets to uncover. We see into each parent’s personal lives, the students in their current setting, and stories from their freshman year, and Agent Keller’s homelife in a way that adds depth to the story and keeps you guessing.
Why Kirsten loves it
Some books can’t pull off this many narrators, but Parents Weekend does. I loved learning about the secrets of each family, what baggage the kids are bringing with them into college, and how their past experiences shaped them at school. I could totally see this story being adapted as a TV series, it’s utterly addicting – an excellent beach read! #Gifted by Macmillan
Find this book in: Books Set in College / Best Beach Reads 2025
Plot
This novel is a locked-room mystery where everyone has a motive and not everyone will make it out alive. It is Sophie Matthews’s sixteenth birthday party in a huge, renovated, once-haunted mansion. The black-tie affair should be a night to remember and it will be but for a different reason – because someone has been murdered…. and one of the party guests did it!
Why Kirsten loves it
With multiple narrators ALL lying, this story will keep you guessing until the end – both with who was killed and who is the killer! I couldn’t read this fantastic book fast enough. The drama was intense, secrets were unraveled throughout the entire story and I did NOT see the ending coming! #gifted by MacMillan
Find this book in: Unreliable Narrators / Full Cast Audiobooks / Beach Reads 2025
Mystery Beach Reads 2025
Plot
Mrs. Blossom, a widow and former private investigator, finds a winning lottery ticket in a parking lot and decides to see the world. She embarks on a river cruise in France but gets caught up in a murder mystery when a fellow passenger dies unexpectedly. As she digs deeper, she uncovers secrets about the victim and is even accused of inadvertently smuggling art for him!
Why Kirsten loves it
I love that the protagonist is 68, starting her life over, and going on an adventure while also being wrapped-up in a stolen art murder mystery! The setting of the river cruise was delightful, but it was Mrs. Blossom’s winning personality that really kept this novel afloat (Pun intended!) #gifted by Libro.fm
Find this book in: Best Beach Reads 2025 / Boat Books
Etiquette for Lovers and Killers
Author: Anna Fitzgerald Healy
Year: 2025
Genre: Historical Mystery
More info: A Beyond the Bookends Most Anticipated July 2025 Book Release
Spice Rating:💋
Age Range:16+
Plot
This novel is a historical fiction set in the 60s, a cozy mystery, and a romance all tied up into one book! And it’s set in Maine as well. Billie McCadie lives with her grandparents and lives vicariously through the characters in the books she gets from the library. She loves epic love stories and mysteries. She is confused when she receives a letter addressed to Gertrude asking for her hand in marriage with a diamond ring. She is even more surprised when Gertrude is found dead and Billie is one of the last to see her alive.
Now her boring life becomes much more interesting, especially when she must take it upon herself to find the murderer. Everyone is hiding secrets, bodies are piling, and Billie is receiving concerning phone calls. Is she safe? Is she a suspect?
Why Jackie loves it
These characters are so much fun. They are unique and surprising, which makes this an easy read. I loved the glimpse into the 60s with the yachts and parties and the mystery was well-plotted. I had no idea who murdered Gertrude. #gifted from Putnam
Find this book in: Best Beach Reads 2025 / Books Set in Maine / Cozy Mystery Books / Books Set in the 1960s / RomCozy Books
Beach Reads and Deadly Deeds
Author: Allison Brennan
Year: 2025
Genre: Romcozy
Spice Rating:💋💋💋
Age Range: 18+
Plot
Mia has spent her life making sure that she is responsible. She has a job as a financial advisor that she takes very seriously. She takes no risks in her job or personally. When her job sends her to a beautiful resort as a bonus, she has no choice but to try and enjoy herself.
She arrives on the beautiful tropical paradise with nothing to do but read a good book, but when she finds a book with writing in the margins, she realizes these may have something to do with a guest who disappeared shortly before Mia arrived on the island. When the missing guest turns up dead, Mia begins to investigate. She just has to hope that she does not get in the way of a murderer during her investigations
Why Jackie loves it
This was the perfect mystery to read on the beach. It is a quick and funny read with a quirky protagonist who needs a vacation more than anyone I have ever read!
Find this book in: Best Beach Reads 2025 / Romcozy Books
Pomona Afton Can So Solve a Murder
Author: Bellamy Rose
Year: 2025
Genre: Mystery Rom-Com
Spice Rating:💋
Age Range: 14+
Plot
Pomona Afton has never worked a day in her life and has depended on her trust fund to support her. When her grandmother is murdered, a stipulation in the will is that if she dies an unnatural death, all assets will be frozen.
Suddenly Pomona is out of her huge apartment and moving in with her former nanny’s son, Gabe. He needs to help her solve the murder or his mom won’t get her retirement! Pomona needs to get an education on the real world pretty quickly.
Why Jackie loves it
Pomona starts as a spoiled, selfish brat. As the story progresses, you see the sweet, kind side that has been waiting to come out. Some of the story requires you to suspend belief because nobody learns to be a baker on their first try, however, I enjoyed every minute of this adorable rom-cozy. #gifted
Find this book in: Beach Reads 2025
Vera Wong’s Guide to Snooping on a Dead Man
Author: Jesse Q. Sutano
Year: 2025
Genre: Mystery
More info: Vera Wong #2
Spice Rating:💋
Age Range:15+
Plot
Vera has been living her best life since the body was found in her teahouse. Vera has maintained the relationships with everyone from the first book. Her son even has a girlfriend, officer Selena Gray. Vera is happy to help cat sit at Tilly and Selena’s place, and it’s not her fault that she finds a briefcase filled with cases. Even if she does have to spend 15 minutes picking the lock open.
And if one of those files just happens to be the body of a friend of a troubled young woman, how can she not help everyone and solve the case of his murder? As she investigates further, it seems nobody is telling the truth
Trigger Warnings
Spoiler: physical and emotional abuse
Why Jackie loves it
I felt like I learned so much about Vera in this book, and I love her even more than I did after the first book. This book deals with more serious topics but does so in a sensitive way. #gifted
Find this book in: Best Beach Reads 2025
A Most Puzzling Murder
Author: Bianca Marais
Year: 2025
Genre: Not so Cozy Mystery
More info: Author of Hum if You Don’t Know the Words, one of Jackie’s Top 10 All-Time Favorite Books
December 2024 Beyond the Bookends Book Club Pick
Age Range: 16+
Plot
Destiny Whip, an enigmatologist who has not left her house in a year, receives a mysterious job offer to be the Scruffmore family historian, a job she did not apply for. Try as she might, she can find no information about the family, but the invitation is a hidden message that promises to reveal family secrets. The best part? You, as the reader, get to partake in solving the clues.
Destiny is enticed by the idea of learning more about herself and follows the clues to Eerie Island. When she arrives, she discovers why the Island has the name “Eerie” and finds hidden messages, a looming murder, and a magical royal family. As her visions reveal a death that hasn’t happened, she must race to solve the mystery before it’s too late.
Why Jackie loves it
I love a great puzzle, and this book not only has that, but it also allows you to interact with Destiny via email if you need help solving the clues. I did this for the fun of the interaction! There is also some choose-your-own-adventure in the story. This is the most fun I have had reading a book in ages. I added sticky notes in the pages because, even though Marais encourages you to mark within the pages, I could not bring myself to do it. If you are reading digitally, there is a printable to help you work out the puzzles!
Find this book in: Cozy Mystery Books / Best Beach Reads 2025 / Puzzle Books
Sci-Fi and Fantasy Beach Reads 2025
Shield of Sparrows
Author: Devney Perry
Year: 2025
Genre: fantasy romance
More info: Instant New York Times Bestseller, In Development as a film with Amazon
Spice Rating:💋💋💋
Age Range: 18+
Plot
Princess Odessa is the Eldest daughter of the king of Quentis. Her younger sister, Mae, has been raised since birth to become the Sparrow- the one to marry the heir of Turah for a treaty. When the prince arrives, he chooses Odessa to be his bride-prize and she has no choice but to agree. Her father asks her to spy on them and send information on how to find their capitol city and orders her to kill the Guardian if she is given a chance.
Now Odessa and her two ladies maids travel across the sea filled with deadly monsters as she tries to find her place in the new land filled with monsters. Odessa starts to feel a relationship to the people and is torn between her loyalty to her father and her new husband.
Why Jackie loves it
This is a slow-burn romance where the princess becomes more than a damsel in distress. It is filled with surprised, thrills, and deadly monsters at every turn of the page. I could not put it down
Find this book in: Best Beach Reads 2025 / The Best Books Like Fourth Wing / The Best Adult Fantasy Romance Books
The Enchanted Greenhouse
Author: Sarah Beth Durst
Year: 2025
Genre: Cozy Fantasy Romance
More info: The Spellshop #2
Spice Rating:💋💋
Age Range: 14+
Plot
This is a standalone fantasy set in The Spellshop world. Terlu cast an illegal spell and created a sentient plant earning her a punishment of being turned into a wooden statue. But Terlu wakes up on an island of hundreds of magical greenhouses, having been awoken by the lone human inhabitant – a gardener, Yarrow. He’s brought her here to help her stop the enchanted greenhouses from failing. As she works to save the various plants, she begins to fall in love with Yarrow despite his grumpy exterior.
Why Kirsten loves it
Like her previous novel, this story is like a warm hug of a book. I read it in spring when my own garden began to bloom and it brought the magic of the season to life in a fun way. I adored the talking plants and the slow, sweet romance between the main characters. You don’t have to have read the previous book by any stretch, but there is a sweet check in on those characters at the end of this story.
Find this book in: Isolation Novels / Beach Reads 2025
The Knight and the Moth
Author: Rachel Gillig
Year: 2025
Genre: Fantasy Romance
More info: The Stonewater Kingdom #1, Bestselling author of The Shepherd King Duology
Spice Rating:💋💋💋
Age Range: 18+
Plot
Sybil Delling is a Diviner who receives visions from “Omens”. She can predict things before they happen when she is drowned in the river before being revived. The six Diviners are revered throughout the kingdom. They are all female orphans who give ten years of service. Six (Sybil) is coming to the end of her ten years of service when a Knight arrives at the Cathedral.
She sees only bad omens when she divines for the king. Shortly after, the other Diviners start to go missing, and Sybil must seek the help of the king’s knight. He seemed to be the only one who questioned the diviners and does not fit with her idea of a knight.
The Knight, Sybil, and a gargoyle set out from the cathedral to find answers and defeat the gods.
Trigger Warnings
Drowning, Religious abuse
Why Jackie loves it
I loved the Shepherd King books, so I had high hopes for this book and it did not disappoint. Gillig weaves her stories to feel like they are familiar tales, and yet, the plot of this book is completely unique. I love how so many parts of this story come together and I cannot believe I have to wait for the next book. I am unsure if this will be a duology or a trilogy.
Find this book in: Best Beach Reads 2025 / The Best Adult Fantasy Romance Books
Silver Elite
Author: Dani Francis
Year: 2025
Genre: Fantasy Romance
More info: New York Times Bestseller
Spice Rating:💋💋💋
Age Range: 18+
Plot
Wren has powerful psychic abilities, but unlike other people who are Modified, her veins do not glow silver when she uses her abilities. This trait makes her one of the most valuable Mods on the Continent to the uprising because having her abilities means death if she is ever found out.
When she makes the choice to save a child with a deadly rifle shot, her mistake costs her dearly. She is brought to enemy territory to be trained with the elite Silver Block. She is now in the hands of the enemy and if they discover her secret, it will cost her her life. She must lie to everyone, to find a way into the elite squad and perhaps be of aid to the uprising. But her commander is the son of the General and he does not miss a thing.
Trigger Warnings
Violence, Death, Torture
Why Jackie loves it
This fantasy romance novel has parts that remind me of the Red Queen and Fourth Wing if they had a book baby. But this story is completely unique and I am a bit obsessed. I listened to this book in about a day (thank you PRH Audio for my advanced listen). I could not put it down. The world-building is amazing, but not so much that it would be off-putting to someone who does not normally read romance.
Find this book in: Best Beach Reads 2025 / The Best Adult Fantasy Romance Books
Art of Vanishing
Author: Morgan Pager
Year: 2025
Genre: Magical Realism
Spice Rating:💋💋
Age Range: 16+
Plot
Claire is a museum employee who works the night shift. She loves the paintings and feels a deep connection to them, especially one painted by Henri Matisse that depicts his family. Jean Matisse is front and center of the painting, reading a book but actually watching clare from inside his frame.
When Claire discovers that she can step into the painting and travel between the paintings in the museum, her entire world changes. Soon, she spends her days waiting for her shift to come so she can jump into his world. Jean and Claire fall in love and must find a way to defy reality and find happiness.
Trigger Warnings
pandemic
Why Jackie loves it
There are so many things that I love about this delightful novel. The story is told from the point of view of both Claire and Jean and I love getting their perspectives. I also love that this book takes place in the Barnes. It is not explicitly stated, however, as a local to the town where the original Barnes was located, it was interesting to hear about it from the paintings’ points of view. This book is so original. I listened to and read the book and couldn’t get enough. Thank you, PRH and PRH Audio, for my copies of this book.
Find this book in: Novels About Art and Artists / Magical Realism Books /Best Beach Reads 2025
The Sirens
Author: Emilia Hart
Year: 2025
Genre: Fantasy
More info: April 2025 Good Morning America Book Club Pick
Spice Rating:💋
Age Range:16+
Plot
The story is told in three timelines. In 2019, Lucy wakes up from a dream to find she is strangling her ex-lover. When she flees to her older sister’s house on the coast of Australia, her sister, Jess, is missing. As she wonders if her sister is in danger and where she could have gone without her phone, she starts to hear rumors of strange things happening in the little town.
In 1999, Jess is a 16-year-old who had been diagnosed with a rare allergy to water. She is struggling to find her place and to express herself through her art.
In 1800, Twin sisters Mary and Eliza were forced onto a convict ship headed to Australia. They were told to stay away from the water after their mother drowned. On the horrible boat journey, they begin to feel a call to the water.
Trigger Warnings
Inappropriate student/ teacher relationship
Why Jackie loves it
Hart has a way of writing intricate relationships that feel authentic and alive. The multiple timelines never felt confusing and added to the need to turn the page. There is just enough fantasy to appeal to fantasy lovers, but not too much to scare away those who are not usually pulled to the genre. #gifted
Find this book in: Popular Nonlinear Narrative Novels / Best Beach Reads 2025
Non-Fiction Beach Reads 2025
Kuleana: A Story of Family, Land, And Legacy in Old Hawaii
Author: Sara Kehaulani Goo
Year: 2025
Genre: Nonfiction
Age Range: 18+
Plot
Sara tells the story of her family’s ancestral land and the struggles her family has to keep it, a struggle that echoes those of many families like hers. Additionally, she goes into detail about her struggles to connect with her Hawaiian heritage when she lives on the mainland. Part family history, part history of Hawaii, this book takes readers into the very real problems of the struggles of Native Hawaiians to keep their culture alive.
Why Kirsten loves it
My beloved Aunt Jann has a home in Hawaii and lives there for half the year. She’s explained some of the same struggles that her friends experience. It broke my heart to learn about how vacationers and millionaires snatching up land has resulted in so many locals being unable to get by without relocating or selling their land.
At the same time, I loved hearing about Sara embracing her heritage and finding ways to help her children learn their roots as well. I found myself wanting to visit the beautiful locations she discussed.
Find this book in: Beach Reads 2025
Marriage at Sea: A True Story of Love, Obsession, and Shipwreck
Author: Sophie ElmhirstÂ
Year: 2025
Genre: Biography
Age Range: 15+
Plot
Maurice and Maralyn decide to sell their house and build their dream boat to sail around the world. They departed in June 1972 and everything went well for nearly a year due to their meticulous planning. When they encounter a whale injured by a whaling ship, it breaches and quickly sinks their boat. They are left stranded at sea for months.
What follows is a miraculous tale of survival as the two can only depend on each other through injury, starvation, and their eventual rescue.
Trigger Warnings
Starvation, shipwreck
Why Jackie loves it
I cannot believe what Maurice and Maralyn went through. This nonfiction reads like a novel. It was a fast read, but it was well-written and detailed. It would make an amazing movie, but nobody would believe it is true. Thank you, PRH Audio for this book #gifted.
Find this book in: Beach Reads 2025
The Chancellor’s Mansion: A Renovation of Family, Home, History, and Mystery
Author: Jamie Arty, Susannah Charleson
Year: 2025
Genre: Nonfiction
Age Range: 14+
Plot
This is the fantastic true story of William Townsend McCoun’s mansion built in Oyster Bay, Long Island. When Jamie and Frantz Arty bought the empty property, they decided to restore it to its former glory at the height of the pandemic. They made some amazing discoveries about the house’s history along the way.
Trigger Warnings
Slavery
Why Kirsten loves it
Inside this book, you’ll get to see photos inside the home and Arty family’s life during the restoration process, but I loved how Arty also shares sketches and information about the former owners. I’ve never read a renovation story quite like this one that marries the newly learned house history with the renovation struggles along the way. I was immersed in the story and quickly started hunting down even more information about Jamie Arty and her gorgeous home.
Find this book in: Best Beach Reads 2025
Queen of All Mayhem: The Blood-Soaked Life and Mysterious Death of Belle Starr, the Most Dangerous Woman in the West
Author: Dane Huckelbridge
Year: 2025
Genre: Nonfiction
Age Range: 18+
Plot
Myra Maybelle Shirley, also known as Belle Star, was shot and killed on February 3, 1889. At the time of her death, she was just 40 years old and one of the most dangerous women in the American West. She led a gang of horse thieves and married one of the most dangerous outlaws. She also married a direct descendent of the greatest female warrior in Cherokee history. This is the story of her life.
Why Kirsten loves it
As always, I adore Huckelbridge’s writing style as I learned about one of the most notorious bandits I’ve never heard of! Belle’s story is made to be memorialized in a movie because if I didn’t know this was a nonfiction book, I never would have believed half the things that she did! #gifted by HarperAudio
Find this book in: Books About Thieves / Beach Reads 2025
Raising Hare
Author: Chloe Dalton
Year: 2025
Genre: Memoir
More info: International Bestseller
Age Range: 14+
Plot
During the Covid lockdown, Chloe discovered a leveret, aka a baby hare, and decided to rescue it from death. She nursed it to health, working hard not to domesticate it, and watched it grow and thrive, eventually having babies of its own in her backyard in the English countryside.
Why Kirsten loves it
This cozy read is a bestseller in the UK for a reason. Chloe’s narrative was soothing and interesting as she details the hurdles and highlights of rescuing a leveret and watching it mature. I felt her compassion and care in her narrative — it gave me new respect for these wild creatures. #gifted by Penguin Random House
Find this book in: Nonfiction Animal Books / Best Beach Reads 2025
From Here to the Great Unknown
Author: Lisa Marie Presley and Riley Keough
Genre: Nonfiction
Year: 2024
More info: October 2024 Oprah Book Club Pick
Age: 16+
Plot
Lisa Marie Presley’s memoir, lovingly finished by her daughter Riley upon her death, tells her story for the first time. Born to one of the most famous musicians in the world, she explores growing up at Graceland, her marriage to Michael Jackson, and what it was like living in the Hollywood scene.
Why Kirsten loves it
I was utterly enthralled by the audiobook version of this book. Julia Roberts narrates Lisa Marie’s words, Riley narrates her own voice, and there are recordings Lisa Marie made scattered throughout as well.
Since Lisa Marie passed before finishing this project, Riley’s words are woven throughout — finishing stories, giving context, and bringing her perspective to her mother’s version of events. Riley showed her mother so much grace and love while acknowledging how unique and difficult Lisa Marie’s life was.
Find this book in: Celebrity Memoirs / Giftable Books / Best Oprah’s Book Club Books / Best Beach Reads 2025
Young Adult Beach Reads 2025
Kill the Lax Bro
Author: Charlotte Lillie Balogh
Year: 2024
Genre: Historical Thriller
Spice Rating:💋
Age Range: 14+
Plot
In this ’90s thriller, the students of Hancock High are participating in a lock-in at the school the day before graduation. But before the evening can even begin, lacrosse-playing hotshot Troy is found dead by a group of unlikely friends.
In the flashbacks from the school year, readers learn why each of the people who found him could be a culprit in his murder.
Why Kirsten loves it
I don’t always love teen thrillers because I find adolescents solving mysteries unrealistic, but actually, I found this one to be a delight! They realistically acted like teenagers without being annoying, and all the ’90s references were such fun easter eggs to uncover! I didn’t see the ending coming in the best possible way.
Find this book in: Best Beach Reads 2025 / Historical Thrillers
Under the Neon Lights
Author: Arriel Vinson
Year: 2025
Genre: YA Fiction
More info: Reese’s Lit Up Book Club
Spice Rating:💋
Age Range: 14+
Plot
Sixteen-year-old Jaelyn finds freedom at her local roller rink, but her world shifts when she meets a boy there. He is a nice distraction from the tension with her best friend and the reappearance of her estranged father.
When she finds out the rink is set to close due to gentrification, she must find a way to fight for the place that means everything to her.
Why Kirsten loves it
This novel is written in verse and the artistry of that feat shines in this story. Jaelyn’s growth throughout this coming-of-age novel feels even and realistic for a teenager. Its short enough to read in one sitting, but its message will stay with you for days after finishing.
Find this book in: Best Beach Reads 2025 / Coming-of-Age Books for Teens
The Rose Bargain
Author: Sasha Peyton Smith
Year: 2025
Genre: YA Fantasy Romance
More info: Cruel Prince meets The Selection
Spice Rating:💋
Age Range: 16+
Plot
Think of this book as The Selection but with Fae! The queen has ruled for hundreds of years after she ended a war. Now, every citizen in England is granted one wish from the fae queen. Girls bargain for a gift to help them make a good match and men bargain for wealth and status. However, with each gift comes a price (like the tip of a pinky finger or a few teeth). This year the stakes are the highest because the fae prince is looking for a wife.
Ivy needs that match more than ever. Her sister made a bargain she cannot remember, and it has nearly destroyed her family. To save her family from ruin, Ivy will compete with other women to win the prince’s heart.
Why Jackie loves it
I immediately wanted to read this when I heard “The Selection”, but this book is sooo good with its unique storyline. I love the alternate English history rather than a dystopian setting. The characters in the book are fun to read and I could not put this book down. There were some unpredictable elements in the story that made it even more fun and I am already dying to read the next one.
Why Kirsten loves it
This is everything my ballgown-loving heart wanted it to be. I swooned over the romance, hated the main villian, and was utterly gobsmacked by the ending. I can’t wait for the sequel!!
Find this book in: Books Like The Selection / Adult and YA Fae Books / The Ultimate List of YA Fantasy Books / Books With Flowers in the Title / Best Beach Reads 2025
Sunrise on the Reaping
Author: Suzanne Collins
Year: 2025
Genre: YA Sci-Fi
More info: Prequel to the Hunger Games
Age Range: 12+
Plot
This prequel to The Hunger Games is Haymitch’s story. It is the 50th annual Hunger Games, and in honor of the quarter quell, twice as many tributes will be selected. Haymitch just wants to make it through the day and be with the girl he loves, but instead, he is sent to the Capitol.
This is where Haymitch meets Effie and so many more characters from Catching Fire. There were glimpses of Hamitch’s games, and this heartbreaking novel puts it all front and center
Why Jackie loves it
This prequel to The Hunger Games gave me perspective on why Haymitch is the way he is- Lonely, miserable, drunk, and alone. If you thought the deaths in the previous Hunger Games books were sad, then be prepared to sob. I have a new understanding of President Snow and everything Haymitch ever said to Katniss about the Capitol and how to win the games. This was the book I needed to put the series into perspective for me.
Find this book in: Best Beach Reads 2025
While We’re Young
Author: K.L. Walther
Year: 2025
Genre: YA Romance
More info: Bestselling author of Summer of Broken Rules!
Spice Rating:💋
Age Range: 18+
Plot
This is a perfect pick for anyone who loves Ferris Bueller’s Day Off (and who doesn’t?). Grace, Isa, and Everett used to be inseparable until Everett broke up with Isa in Freshman year. The threesome never recovered. Now, Grace loves Everett and Isa is hanging out with James, Grace’s brother. When Grace decides to take a senior skip day she includes all the Philly greats in this epic day.
But will they be able to talk about the secrets they are keeping from each other? Will this be their last hurrah?
Trigger Warnings
Death of a parent, depression
Why Jackie loves it
This is everything I loved about Ferris Bueller and more. There were nods to the characters I loved so much from the movie, but there was also a much deeper look into the pressures on teens to be outstanding. These characters are fully developed and I loved their relationships with each other. Note that this does have references to a sexual encounter between two 18-year-old consenting characters.
Find this book in: Best Beach Reads 2025
Plot
Mullory Prudence is sixteen-year-old and only has her late mother’s warnings to “run if the strange finds you,” left as memories. Nevertheless, she is drawn into a game called Mystery Royale at Stoutmire Estate, where the prize is a massive inheritance. Once there, she discovers the true prize is Xavier Stoutmire’s illusionary magic, coveted by a family willing to kill for it. To win the game, Mullory must solve the murder of Xavier Stoutmire while navigating family secrets and deciding whom she can trust.
The magical elements reminded me a bit of Caraval but with a distinctly Death Eater-type flavor. The story pits Lyric, Ellison (and her twin), and other relations in a game to win their deceased Uncle’s magic – along with outsider Mullary who is attempting to win and understand why she was chosen to participate in the puzzle.
Why Kirsten loves it
I was swept into the story and I couldn’t put it down. The magical parties and hidden puzzles were painted in such a vivid fashion that I could picture everything in my brain. I can’t wait to read the next book in the series!!!
Find this book in: Puzzle Books / Books like the Night Circus / Beach Reads 2025
Helpful Tips
- Pick your beach read based on the genre you are most interested in.
- Each of these books is engaging, but easily put down if you want to participate in beach or poolside activities.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are some good summer reads for 2025?
We have a list of dozens of selections, but our current favorites are:
1. One Golden Summer by Carley Fortune
2. The Rose Bargain by Sasha Peyton Smith
3. Swept Away by Beth O’Leary
Depending on which genre you like, this is part one of a list of dozens of the best summer reads for 2025. So, whether you like fiction, fantasy, women’s fiction, or non-fiction, this list will have a book you love.
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Epilogue
What do you think of the beach reads 2025 list? Do you like the new way we are releasing them over 3 separate updates? Do you have any guesses for what will make the list later in the spring?
