I always highly anticipate the summer season for one main reason, and that is because SO many of my favorite authors release fantastic beach reads in May and June. I marked them on the calendar and devoured them appropriately, as did Becca. It should be noted that I am pretty much a one-trick pony when it comes to my reads in general. I like my books mostly light, I like them to be romances, and I do like SPICY. You’ve been warned. I’ll notate where it’s appropriate below.
Becca has a bit of a more extended repertoire of what she likes to read, but for this one she stuck to romances as well {and she has a super spicy one in her list below that we both LOVED!}. We think it’s a super fun list and we hope you enjoy!
Meagan’s Top Summer Book Reads of 2024
The Rom-Commers by Katherine Center
It should be known that I am a HUGE, like HUGE Katherine Center fan. I’ve read all of her books, and it doesn’t hurt that she lives in our great city of Houston as well. I’ve been highly anticipating this release, and maybe while it wasn’t my very, very favorite, it was so delightful. Emma a screenwriter, although her successes have been hampered by caring for her ill father. But she gets an offer she cannot turn down, to co-write with her hero, Charlie Yates. Emma loves the rom-com genre… and well, Charlies hardly believes in love. You can see where this is going and I found it delightful. {Spice level low}
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The Summer We Started Over by Nancy Thayer
It’s hard to believe, but I think this was my first Nancy Thayer book. Of course, with “summer” in the title and it’s setting on Nantucket, I had to give it a try. I adored both of these sisters and their complexities. Their eccentric dad was definitely a sweet addition, and then of course, their is the angst of a past lover who comes back into one of the sister’s lives. Charming, easy-breezy, beautifully set. Perfect beach read.
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The Summer I Destroyed You by Elizabeth O’Roark
Whew, boy. Okay, now we get into a bit of summer spice. This is the 4th in the Summer Series by O’Roark. The first one {The Summer We Fell} was GREAT, like I pretty much devoured it. The second two were entertaining enough, but I think this is probably the closest to the happiness I felt reading the first one. That said, there are some dark things in her books, so definitely check trigger warnings. This one in particular deals with some deeply rooted ED issues so just be aware going in. But man, it is spicy and there are some slow burns. If you love enemies to lovers, this book is your summer jam.
This Summer Will Be Different by Carley Fortune
This book was a freaking DELIGHT. I need to escape to Prince Edward Island stat, and eat my weight in oysters. The setting was so beautifully described, almost Elin reminiscient, where you could just imagine bumping into these characters. It’s more layered and complex than her second novel (Meet Me at the Lake) which honestly wasn’t my favorite. Check out her debut novel “Every Summer After”, which I actually re-read upon finishing This Summer Will Be Different. That’s a rarity for me! The friendship with Lucy and her best friend Bridget felt as important as relationship with heartthrob Felix. It’s just a lovely, lovely summer read and I had legit had a book hangover when I finished it. If you know, you know.
Summer Romance by Annabel Monaghan
Annabel Monaghan is basically an auto read for me. Her prose is always beautiful and something about her words just grips you. I appreciated the insights into motherhood and just the difficulty that comes in our job, while still trying to remember who YOU are as a person, even in the midst of significant grief. Our protagonist Ali lost her mother and then her husband ditched her right after. This is Ali’s rebuilding of herself and her foray into an unexpected romance. Loved it.
Becca’s Top Summer Book Reads of 2024
How to End a Love Story
by Yulin Kuang
Content warning for complicated grief, suicide loss, and the death of a sibling.
Helen, on paper, looks like she has it all. She’s a successful author of a YA series, and she’s been invited out to LA to help develop her books into a TV series. But her struggle with imposter syndrome, as well as a tragic event from her past, make it difficult for her to continue growing in her career and establish relationships, both friendly and romantic. When she arrives in LA, she encounters Grant, a charming and charismatic guy from her high school, who happens to be connected to Helen by that past tragic event. On paper, Helen and Grant do not belong together. But can they overcome the secrets of their past to find a happy ending to their story?
This book is one of my favorites of 2024 so far. It’s no light read. It deals with heavy issues like suicide loss and grief. But I could not put this book down. Kuang does a beautiful job of interweaving these real life issues into a story of hope and renewal. Five bajillion stars, and I hope you pick it up this summer.
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Not in Love
by Ali Hazelwood
Rue is a biotech engineer, working at Kline, a food science start up in Austin, Texas. One day, Florence, the CEO of the lab and one of Rue’s best friends, announces that the lab’s loan is being taken over by Harkness, a group known for coming into companies and shaking things up. And there’s another hiccup. She recognizes one of the members of the Harkness team. From their almost-hook-up the night before. As the story unfolds, Rue and Eli must decide which is more important: their interest in the future of Kline or their growing feelings for one another.
I’m a big fan of Hazelwood’s storytelling. Her STEM romance novels are generally light and funny, with clever banter and medium spice. This novel takes a slight turn. Keep the STEM and witty dialogue, but turn the heat way up. Hazelwood herself describes this as “less rom-com, more erotic romance”. I tend to think of erotic romance as having little to no plot, but that’s not what’s happening here. Rue and Eli have difficult pasts, having experienced grief, food insecurity, and child neglect. Hazelwood handles these issues, as well as the struggles women face in STEM careers, respectfully. If you’re looking for a steamy read with substance, be sure to pick this one up!
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Funny Story
by Emily Henry
Daphne is a children’s librarian, living in Waning Bay, Michigan. She followed her fiancé, Peter, there, and she was all set to live her dream life. That is, until Peter realized he was in love with his childhood best friend, Petra. Now Daphne is on her own, without friends or family, and living with Petra’s ex, Miles. He is scruffy, laid back, and appears to take part in a multitude of jobs. Basically, he is Daphne’s exact opposite. But after they both receive invitations to their exes’ upcoming nuptials, Daphne and Miles form a temporary alliance and plan. They will be each other’s dates to the wedding, and maybe post a few misleading photos on Instagram over the summer. No harm, no foul. Right?
Emily Henry is the queen of the beach read. And this novel is exploding with summer vibes. Crisp, breezy weather. Bluer than blue skies. Sunshine that doesn’t melt your skin, unlike Houston summer. I just wanted to curl up on the lake shore with a glass of wine while I was reading. If you’re looking for a sweet summer romance that will transport you to the perfect summer locale, look no further than Funny Story.
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Savor It
by Tarah DeWitt
Sage Byrd is living her best life in her hometown of Spunes, Oregon {not to be confused with Forks, Washington}. She lives in her childhood home, with a menagerie of animals, and is surrounded by her favorite people. And she is looking forward to participating in the big contest at the upcoming town festival. Fisher Lange was an award winning chef in New York City, when his struggling sense of identity and grief over his sister’s tragic death leads to him losing his job. His boss asks him to go to, you guessed it, Spunes to consult on the opening of her new restaurant. So Fisher and his niece, Indy, for whom he’s now the guardian, head out to Spunes, only to move in next door to generous and sweet Sage Byrd.
This book was pitched to me as Schitt’s Creek meets The Bear. I mean, say less. I adored watching Sage and Fisher’s relationship unfold. They give each other space to figure out their own lives, while also taking the time to really get to know one another. And Fisher’s developing relationship with his niece is just as beautiful to witness. Also, there’s a scene where Fisher cooks for Sage before their first night together, and it was *chef’s kiss*. I now need my husband to be a professional chef, so he can recreate that moment.
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Just for the Summer
by Abby Jiminez
Justin is cursed. Every woman he dates, goes on to find their soulmate after they part ways. When he posts his story on Reddit, he gets a response: Emma is afflicted with the exact same curse. After chatting {and maybe flirting} back and forth via text, Emma, who works as a traveling nurse, decides to spend the summer with Justin in Minnesota. They establish rules for an experiment. If they go on a few dates with each other, will they go on to find their own soulmates? But after Emma’s toxic mom shows up and Justin assumes guardianship of his three younger siblings, things between them become a bit more complicated. They must navigate their own baggage, along with their developing feelings for one another.
I am new to the Abby Jiminez fan club, but boy, did I dive right in. I love that her books are quite substantial. Jiminez does not shy away from mental health, toxic relationships, grief, or really much of anything. Just for the Summer is no exception. There are a lot of moving pieces to Justin and Emma’s story, but that’s real life. Partners, especially grown adults with established lives and careers, really have to work hard to overcome past issues and meld their lives together. Jiminez handles these issues deftly and respectfully. I highly recommend you pick this one up this summer!
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