SUMMER BOOK LIST

OUR COMPLETE LIST OF SUMMER THEMED BOOKS

CHANCE FOR HOME

BY TRACI HUNTER ABRAMSON

Kari Evan’s just broke up with her boyfriend and wants to get away for the summer. Kari moves in with her older brother Ben, and quickly finds herself falling for his teammate, Ryan.

This book is adorable! I love that we got to read more about Kari, since we got to meet her in Ben’s book, Chances Are. I also liked how this story had a medical aspect to it as well, similar to Chances Are. It wasn’t just a cut and dry romance that happens to take place in the same “world.”

C HECK OUT OUR FULL BOOK REVIEW OF CHANCE FOR HOME HERE

THE TRUTH ABOUT HAPPILY EVER AFTER

BY KAROLE COZZO

Alyssa returns to Florida to continue her summer job as a princess at a very popular theme park. Her long-distance boyfriend is on his way back into town as well and she’s excited to rekindle their not so smooth relationship. But as more problems arise with her Prince Charming, she has to decide if she’s ready for something more than a fairy tale—something real.

Aside from a few problems at the beginning of the book, I immediately got caught up in the story and really enjoyed myself. I read this book in one day, practically one sitting. It was funny and sweet, but also had some real-world problems thrown in there. After I finished the book though, I started thinking about it and realizing the many, many problems I had with it. I think it could have very easily been a 5 star read if it was handled a little bit differently.

C HECK OUT OUR FULL BOOK REVIEW OF THE TRUTH ABOUT HAPPILY EVER AFTER HERE

THE REST OF THE STORY

BY SARAH DESSEN

Emma Saylor’s summer plans get turned upside down and she ends up spending the summer with her mothers side of the family that she hasn’t seen since she was 4 years old. As she gets to know her family, she also starts to learn new things about her mother and discovers a new side to herself as well.

I really like MOST of Sarah Dessen’s books. And this was one of the good ones. I always love how the main character is put into a new environment and has to adapt to the situation and make new friends.

C HECK OUT OUR FULL BOOK REVIEW OF THE REST OF THE STORY HERE

THAT SUMMER

BY SARAH DESSEN

Haven’s life seems to be changing too fast. Between her Dad getting remarried, her sister getting married, and her mom changing right before her eyes, Haven has to discover who she wants to be in her “new” world.

I think I had a hard time with this book because the main character, Haven, is only fifteen years old. This story also lacked the overarching “love” storyline that is usually present in Sarah Dessen’s books. I missed having that to root for.

C HECK OUT OUR FULL BOOK REVIEW OF THAT SUMMER HERE

THE TRUTH ABOUT FOREVER

BY SARAH DESSEN

Macy has spent the past year and a half trying to be perfect. She has the perfectly ironed clothes, the perfectly parted hair, and the perfectly controlled attitude. She also has the perfect summer plans: filling in for her perfect boyfriend at his library job. Then, on a whim, she decides to accept the offer of a not so perfect job at a not so perfect catering company.

Yep. I loved it. This was another beautiful work of art by Sarah Dessen and another one of my favorites. I loved the storyline. I loved all of the characters.

C HECK OUT OUR FULL BOOK REVIEW OF THE TRUTH ABOUT FOREVER HERE

RUNAWAY RULE

BY JENESSA FAYETH

After a difficult break up with her boyfriend of two years, Thea decides to take the romantic trip they had planned. Sure, she thought she would be getting engaged, but who says she can’t enjoy the trip on her own? One thing leads to another and Thea finds herself on the run, with a man she just met.

Runaway Rule was so much fun to read! I absolutely loved it. This book was an excellent rom-com. The combination of romance, comedy, and action balanced the story out perfectly.

C HECK OUT OUR FULL BOOK REVIEW OF RUNAWAY RULE HERE

AT THE TWILIGHT'S LAST GLEAMING

BY ELLIE HALL

After lying to the press about having a girlfriend, Jake Twiles must work with a PR representative to smooth things over. The last thing he expected was to walk into that office and find the woman he eloped with 10 years ago–the woman he's technically still married to.

Was I frustrated by many things (miscommunication, tax fraud, incomplete backstory) while reading this book? Yes. Yes, I was. But, overall, I had a good time reading this. It was cute and funny.

C HECK OUT OUR FULL BOOK REVIEW OF AT THE TWILIGHT'S LAST GLEAMING HERE

PLOTTING SUMMER

BY JESS HEILEMAN

Capri Collins has been writing and publishing romance novels under the pen name ‘Sunny Palmer’ for years. One of her first books has become quite popular among readers, and unfortunately that book (Secret Crush) is based off her real-life long-time crush on her neighbor, Tristan Palmer, and what she wishes would have happened with them when they were younger. She’s been avoiding Sunset Harbor Island in hopes her family and friends won’t connect the dots between her and Secret Crush. When she ends up on the island indefinitely, Tristan convinces her to spend time with him as friends.

No surprise that I loved this book! I found myself smiling more often than not while I was reading it. The characters were so funny and I loved the banter between all of them.

C HECK OUT OUR FULL BOOK REVIEW OF PLOTTING SUMMER HERE

WILD ABOUT YOU

BY KAITLYN HILL

Natalie, a theatre student who is most confident in a full face of makeup, decides to spend her summer on an adventure reality tv show. The prize is a $100,000 scholarship. She needs it. She’s going to win it. Finn, the most outdoorsy outdoorsman, whose favorite form of communication is grunting, also ends up on the show. As Natalie’s teammate.

This book had me hooked from the start. It was funny and fast paced, and I loved how the majority of the book was set on the Appalachian Trail. The outdoorsy adventure mixed with the reality tv show was the perfect combination.

C HECK OUT OUR FULL BOOK REVIEW OF WILD ABOUT YOU HERE

THE LIST

BY MELANIE JACOBSON

Ashley’s goal this summer is to spend her time checking off items on “The List.” The list of things to do before she gets married, that is.

This book was a staple of my teenage years! I loved it so much that I basically read it every summer, and I’ll continue to keep reading it every summer of my life!

C HECK OUT OUR FULL BOOK REVIEW OF THE LIST HERE

THE RELATIONTRIP

BY ELANA JOHNSON

Sloane and Logan met 5 years ago in an airport. Sloane was going on her honeymoon trip alone. One thing led to another, and Logan went on her non-honeymoon trip with her. They’ve been best friends ever since. They go on a tropical vacation every year in the middle of winter. Logan has had romantic feelings for Sloane for the last two years and hasn’t said anything. This year is going to be different!

The Relationtrip was a fun summer read but Sloane drove me crazy. Her defining trait is the fact that she’s irrational. And it was pretty annoying. This is the third book I’ve read by this author, and the main female lead has been basically the same person in each book. And she’s very irrational!

C HECK OUT OUR FULL BOOK REVIEW OF THE RELATIONTRIP HERE

SUMMER EVER AFTER

BY KORTNEY KEISEL

Jane Hayes is tired of waiting for love to find her. This summer she’s taking matters into her own hands. As a lover of love, she knows that if she incorporates specific romance tropes into her dates she’ll fall in love. That’s just how this works. But the harder she tries to fall in love with one of the men she’s deemed ‘eligible’ the more she finds herself falling for the one man who is off-limits.

I really enjoyed this book. It was a perfect clean summer read. I thought the characters were fun, and I really enjoyed the community on the small island where the story is set.

C HECK OUT OUR FULL BOOK REVIEW OF SUMMER EVER AFTER HERE

I HOPE THIS FINDS YOU

BY ANN LIANG

Julius and Sadie take a trip to California before starting college in the fall.

I enjoyed revisiting Julius and Sadie’s characters (from I Hope This Doesn’t Find You), especially seeing things from Julius’s point of view. It was nice. And short. And sweet. And there were some underlying/deeper issues being dealt with too.

C HECK OUT OUR FULL BOOK REVIEW OF I HOPE THIS FINDS YOU HERE

RULES

BY CYNTHIA LORD

Catherine is twelve years old and wants to have a normal life. But with a brother like David, life will never be "normal." Catherine makes rules for David to follow in an attempt to be less embarrassed by him.

I feel like it isn’t very often that you get a children's book that tackles the storylines like these. I feel like Cynthia Lord did a great job at telling this story. I would recommend this book to any tween out there.

C HECK OUT OUR FULL BOOK REVIEW OF RULES HERE

OPEN ROAD SUMMER

BY EMERY LORD

After a series of bad choices that led to a broken wrist, Reagan decides to spend the summer becoming a better version of herself while on tour with her best friend Dee. But when Matt has to join the tour as the opening act to save Dee from some bad press, he might be a distraction from Reagan’s summer plans.

Who doesn’t love a romance where the famous musician falls in love with a regular girl? I know I do, and this one did not disappoint. Reagan and Matt’s almost-enemies-to-lovers situation was good, and I liked how they didn’t immediately get together.

C HECK OUT OUR FULL BOOK REVIEW OF OPEN ROAD SUMMER HERE

BY THE DAWN'S EARLY LIGHT

BY TIA MARLEE

When Hadley runs into a cute guy at the bookstore, she decides she’s got nothing to lose when he asks for her number. He may only be in town for a few weeks, but it could be fun to get to know him a little while he’s here. The last thing she expected was to discover that he’s a professional hockey player, visiting for the Stars and Stripes Hockey Tournament.

I had the best time reading this book. I loved the characters from the very beginning. Hadley and Bryce’s meet-cute was so natural and realistic, and I love that there was actual hockey being played in this book. It was great.

C HECK OUT OUR FULL BOOK REVIEW OF BY THE DAWN'S EARLY LIGHT HERE

REBEL WITH A DONUT

BY CHRISSY Q. MARTIN

Emma’s Grandma has asked her to come spend three weeks with her in her retirement community this summer. The last thing Emma expects is to be met with 3 other grandmas, their grandkids, and thrust into the “Donut Club.”

Where do I even begin? The whole concept of this book is brilliant! I was thoroughly entertained between the Grandmas, the teenagers, and all the wild banter. This book will definitely keep you smiling and entertained.

C HECK OUT OUR FULL BOOK REVIEW OF REBEL WITH A DONUT HERE

SECOND CHANCE SUMMER

BY MORGAN MATSON

After some unexpected news, Taylor’s family decides to spend the summer at the lake house they haven’t been to for five years. Unfortunately for Taylor, that means she now has to deal with the people and problems she ran away from there five years ago.

Devastating. Tragic. Heart wrenching. Beautiful. Was this possibly the saddest book I’ve ever read in my life? Yeah… I think it might’ve been. And I don’t regret my time spent reading it.

C HECK OUT OUR FULL BOOK REVIEW OF SECOND CHANCE SUMMER HERE

THE BOMBS BURSTING IN AIR

BY DINEEN MILLER

Kinsley is excited for the opportunity to cover the Stars and Stripes Hockey Tournament for the publication she interns for. The problem? The other intern, the son of her boss. The man has no motivation and constantly makes her job harder. The other problem? The hockey player she spent one evening talking to two years ago and still hasn’t been able to forget. Of course, he’s playing in the tournament.

What an adorable book! Here I thought I wasn’t a fan of the second chance romance, but this one… it’s a winner! I also really liked Kinsley’s work storyline and how she did what she needed to do in order to move forward in life.

C HECK OUT OUR FULL BOOK REVIEW OF THE BOMBS BURSTING IN AIR HERE

MAX BAUER'S SECOND CHANCE

BY BRITNEY M. MILLS

Max is a successful businessman following in his father's footsteps. When he comes to Max insisting on an arranged marriage, Max decides it’s time for a break. He goes off the grid and finds himself in Penrose Beach, a small, charming tourist town. He's captivated by the town and the cafe owner who saved the day when she picked him up after his rental car ran out of gas.

Max Bauer’s Second Chance is a great summer read! The small, beach town setting very well could have been my favorite part of this book, but I loved the characters too. Lila, Avery’s niece, may have been my favorite.

C HECK OUT OUR FULL BOOK REVIEW OF MAX BAUER'S SECOND CHANCE HERE

BEAUTY AND THE BEACH

BY GRACIE RUTH MITCHELL

Phoenix Park and Holland Blakey have never gotten along. For years, they’ve argued and insulted each other. Both in desperate situations, they agree to a marriage contract. Purely a business arrangement. There will be no feelings. It’s only for a few months anyway.

I really enjoyed reading Beauty and the Beach. I cruised through this book in one day… I loved the enemies to lovers and marriage of convenience combination. I couldn’t get enough of Phoenix and Holland together.

C HECK OUT OUR FULL BOOK REVIEW OF BEAUTY AND THE BEACH HERE

JUST FRIENDS

BY HALEY PHAM

After graduating college, Blair moves back home for the summer because her great aunt is sick. She’s put her life on hold with the expectation of moving to New York for work in the fall. Everything changes when she runs into her best friend/ex-boyfriend that she hasn’t seen in 4 years.

For the most part, my feelings towards Just Friends are pretty neutral. There were moments where I was having a decent time reading the book, and then there were moments where I struggled to enjoy it.

C HECK OUT OUR FULL BOOK REVIEW OF JUST FRIENDS HERE

THE MATCHBREAKER SUMMER

BY ANNIE RAINS

Paisley is upset that her mom has decided to sell their family summer camp to move them closer to her new boyfriend's family. Hayden has always been a trouble maker and finds himself spending the summer at this camp. Hayden decides to help Paisley break up her mom and boyfriend so she doesn’t have to move and the camp doesn’t close. What could possibly go wrong?

I loved the little shenanigans that Paisley and Hayden were up to trying to break up Paisley's mom and her boyfriend. It reminded me of the Cheaper By the Dozen movie where the kids are trying to run off the oldest sister’s boyfriend. I found it to be quite comical! Overall, I would highly recommend this book to all lovers of clean young adult romances!

C HECK OUT OUR FULL BOOK REVIEW OF THE MATCHBREAKER SUMMER HERE

SUMMER OF THE MONKEYS

BY WILSON RAWLS

Fourteen-year-old Jay Berry spends his summer trying to catch a group of monkeys that escaped from the circus in the mountains of Oklahoma.

What a book. I remember reading this when I was a kid, so it definitely ranks really high on the nostalgia scale. But I think that even if I wasn’t feeling all of that nostalgia, this would still be a really good book. I loved the writing. I loved the story.

C HECK OUT OUR FULL BOOK REVIEW OF SUMMER OF THE MONKEYS HERE

LIARLAND

BY MADISON RUPP

For some reason, somebody wants Pineland to close. After three employees mysteriously die, Gwen and Valerie decide something is not what it seems. All these deaths can’t be accidental. When Valerie goes missing, Gwen must do everything she can to get her back safe.

This book started out a little slow and took me a bit to get into, but once I did, it was hard for me to put it down. Towards the end of the book, I was starting to feel like it was an episode of Pretty Little Liars… And I loved it!

C HECK OUT OUR FULL BOOK REVIEW OF LIARLAND HERE

FIELD NOTES ON LOVE

BY JENNIFER E. SMITH

When Hugo gets dumped by his girlfriend of four years right before they’re supposed to take a train trip across America, there’s only one thing to do… find another Margaret Campbell who’s willing to take her place to get him on the train. The tickets are in her name—nontransferable—and he’s going on this trip, no matter what.

Me a few years ago would have loved this, but I think I might be over the whole ‘post high school graduation finding yourself’ thing, and that’s okay. Overall, this was a good book, it just wasn’t my favorite.

C HECK OUT OUR FULL BOOK REVIEW OF FIELD NOTES ON LOVE HERE

THIS IS WHAT HAPPY LOOKS LIKE

BY JENNIFER E. SMITH

When movie star Graham Larkin accidentally emails the wrong E. O’Neill about taking care of his pet pig, a conversation strikes up between Graham and Ellie. Only Ellie doesn’t know Graham is a movie star. She assumes he’s a regular seventeen-year-old like her. Then a movie set shows up in Ellie’s small town and Graham decides to surprise her.

I’ve read this book many times, and I like it. It’s a sweet, fluffy romance, but it doesn’t get better every time I read it like my favorite books do. You know I love an anonymous letter writing situation, and this one’s good, but it’s not one of my favorites.

C HECK OUT OUR FULL BOOK REVIEW OF THIS IS WHAT HAPPY LOOKS LIKE HERE

SAFE HAVEN

BY NICHOLAS SPARKS

Katie has been hiding from her husband for a few months and has found her way to Southport, North Carolina. While there, she meets Alex, the local convenience store owner. Alex can tell that there is more to Katie than meets the eye. Will Katie learn to trust him?

I loved this book! Even though I already knew the overarching storyline, I found myself needing to keep reading to see what was going to happen next! I was up way later than I should have been many nights in a row reading this book.

C HECK OUT OUR FULL BOOK REVIEW OF SAFE HAVEN HERE

ELOISE AND THE GRUMP NEXT DOOR

BY EMMA ST. CLAIR, JENNY PROCTOR

Eloise had hoped to spend the next year in grad school studying literature, but life took an unexpected turn. Her grandmother passed away and left her estate to Eloise and her two sisters. They are required to renovate the estate into a Bed and Breakfast while at least one of them lives on the island and oversees the project. As the sister with no job and no plans, Eloise is the one to stay and work with Jake, Gran’s lawyer and neighbor.

Eloise and the Grump Next Door was a cute romance read. You know I love these types of stories. The characters were fun–I especially loved all the Oakley Island residents and their interest in each other’s lives. The barber has a TikTok account where he posts all the juicy gossip. The community was really sweet. It made me want to live there.

C HECK OUT OUR FULL BOOK REVIEW OF ELOISE AND THE GRUMP NEXT DOOR HERE

THAT FINE LINE

BY CINDY STEEL

After graduating from college and getting engaged, Kelsey heads back home for the summer. She’ll be helping her dad on the ranch, spending time with her best friend, and planning her wedding with her mom. She doesn’t have time for a prank war with her high school nemesis! Why couldn’t her dad have hired anyone else?

I had the best time reading That Fine Line. I loved the banter between all the characters, not just Kelsey and Cade. They were hilarious, so I’m excited to read more about this group of people in the other books in this series.

C HECK OUT OUR FULL BOOK REVIEW OF THAT FINE LINE HERE

BEACHY KEEN

BY KASEY STOCKTON

Cat Keene runs a small bed and breakfast on the Island of Sunset Harbor with her Uncle Otto. When she finds a large medical bill labeled ‘Final Notice,’ she panics. There is a possibility she could lose the only home she’s ever known. Despite her dislike for his entire family, Cat accepts a job opportunity with Billionaire, Noah Belacourt, in hopes to earn enough money to pay the bill and save the Bed and Breakfast.

I really enjoyed reading this book. I thought this story would take place after Summer Ever After, but it took place at the same time, we were just focused on Cat and Noah instead of Jane and Walker. I thought that was a fun concept.

C HECK OUT OUR FULL BOOK REVIEW OF BEACHY KEEN HERE

IS IT ANY WONDER

BY COURTNEY WALSH

Louisa and Cody spent every summer growing up on Nantucket with their families. It was the best time of the year. After a horrible tragedy, the families broke apart. It’s been 12 years and Louisa still thinks about Cody and his parents every day. Under the most unexpected circumstances, Louisa and Cody are brought together again.

The vibe of this book was a little unexpected for me. I’ve read some of Courtney Walsh’s other books and they were fairly light-hearted so I was expecting something similar here. It was a good story and I enjoyed reading it, I just didn’t expect to have so much heartache for these characters. It was an emotional read.

C HECK OUT OUR FULL BOOK REVIEW OF IS IT ANY WONDER HERE

THE SUMMER OF YES

BY COURTNEY WALSH

After a near death experience, Kelsey is reevaluating her life and decides she needs a summer of yes!

I loved the whole concept of the book. Saying yes to things you would usually say no to. That wouldn’t be something easy for me to do. I was thoroughly entertained!

C HECK OUT OUR FULL BOOK REVIEW OF THE SUMMER OF YES HERE

THE SUMMER OF BROKEN RULES

BY K.L. WALTHER

Through her entire life, Meredith has spent a few weeks during the summer with her family on Martha’s Vineyard. But everything changed when her sister unexpectedly passed away. 18 months later, Meredith finds herself back on the island for her cousin’s wedding. She’s thrown into the ultimate game of Assassin as part of the wedding festivities and she is determined to honor her sister’s memory and win the game. Assassin was a game they played on the island every summer. Meredith forms an alliance with one of the groomsmen and she can’t help the feelings she has for him despite the fact that they just met.

I know a book is good when I choose to read instead of going to sleep at night when I’m already running low on sleep. And that’s what happened here... I was immediately sucked into this story. I may have finished it within 24 hours…

C HECK OUT OUR FULL BOOK REVIEW OF THE SUMMER OF BROKEN RULES HERE