It may be August, but summer isn’t over yet! There’s still time to knock out a few beach reads on your summer vacation or before the cooler weather sets in.
The best beach reads are captivating, fun, and, most of all, entertaining! Here are my top picks for the best beach reads of summer 2026.
The Someday Garden
It’s impossible not to be happy when reading an Ashley Poston novel, and The Someday Garden is no exception to that rule.
Back in college, Sophie Drear instantly connected with her best friend Harriet over their shared love of Lilymoor Gardens. Ten years later and mourning Harriet’s untimely death from cancer, Sophie has landed her dream job as groundskeeper at Lilymoor House. However, when she stumbles across a mysterious man in a walled garden that only appears at certain times of the day, Sophie starts to guess that the gardens might have more secrets than they first seem…
Deeply emotional and tender, The Someday Garden is another Ashley Poston masterpiece.
The Shippers
In her intro to The Shippers, Katharine Center wrote, insert quote here. – and isn’t that the exact vibe we want for the perfect beach read?
Six weeks after she leaves her fiancé at the altar, JoJo Burton is attending her sister’s wedding on a cruise ship. Problem is, also in attendance is her childhood best friend, Cooper Watts. The same Cooper Watts who RSVP’d no to JoJo’s wedding, showed up just as she was about to walk down the aisle, and convinced her to cancel her own wedding. JoJo basically has no choice but to convince Cooper to be her fake boyfriend so she can woo her childhood crush, who is also attending her sister’s wedding.
Like any good romantic comedy, The Shippers involves adorable hijinks, two lovable main characters, and takes place on the dreamy setting of a cruise ship. What isn’t there to like?
Love Song
It goes without saying that Elle Kennedy is one of my insta-buy romance authors. After reading The Deal in December 2024, I blasted through the rest of her Off-Campus series as well as her follow up series, Briar U and Campus Diaries.
Now Elle Kennedy is writing a new series following the children of the main characters of Off-Campus. If you’re a fan of the original books, you’re in luck- Love Song is an engrossing romance between Blake Logan (John and Grace’s daughter) and Wyatt Graham (Hannah and Garrett’s son). The book is also a fun way to catch up with the original main characters and see how their lives turned out as adults!
If you’ve never read a single Briar University book, that’s okay- Love Song is still a wonderful standalone romance read that’s perfect for your next beach day!
The Night We Met
To be entirely honest, despite being a longtime Abby Jimenez fan, I wasn’t that excited to read The Night We Met. The book is about a pharmacist named Chris who falls in love with his best friend’s girlfriend, Larissa. I’m not a fan of anything cheating or remotely cheating adjacent. If this book hadn’t been written by one of my favorite authors, I probably wouldn’t have given it a shot.
Instead, I was pleasantly surprised by a lovely story of two people who slowly realize they have a lot in common and begin to develop a strong emotional connection and learn a lot about themselves in the process. One of the top things I look for in a romance novel is “does the relationship help the main characters grow as people?” For Chris and Larissa, the answer is a resounding yes.
If you’re looking for a deeply emotional, character-driven romance to round out your summer, Abby Jimenez knocks it out of the park (as always!)
This Story Might Save Your Life
Longtime friends Benny and Joy cohost a comedy podcast titled (surprise!) This Story Might Save Your Life where they share unique, real-life survival stories and joke about how they might attempt to survive the same situation.
When Benny arrives at Joy’s house one morning to record, he finds that Joy and her husband Xander are missing and that their home appears to be broken into. As he attempts to investigate Joy’s disappearance, secrets begin to unfold about Joy, Benny, and their relationship.
Both a thriller and a love story, This Story Might Save Your Life is the perfect choice if you want a beach read that keeps you on the edge of your seat!
The Romance Revival
Serious workaholic Emery Finch is devastated when her husband, Luca, dies in a tragic accident. Desperate to not lose him, Emery uses her top-secret scientific research to bring him back. Problem is, Luca doesn’t remember her.
The Romance Revival is less lighthearted than most of Christina Lauren’s other books, but still bears the hallmark sweetness of the duo’s romance novels! Plus, it includes an interesting sci-fi angle for fans of that genre.
Romantic Hero
Romantic Hero was my first ever Kirsty Greenwood novel and, let me tell you, it turned me into a Kirsty Greenwood ADDICT. I’m not kidding- I immediately downloaded three of her other books on Kindle and binge-read them in a week.
Gertie is a successful romance author who is suffering from writer’s block after a recent traumatic breakup. With a big deadline looming for her popular book series, Gertie is anxious to get her writing back on track. In an act of desperation, she joins her neighbor in a manifestation ceremony where she “manifests” fixing her writers block (and perhaps getting her ex back while she’s at it!)
Instead of fixing her problems, the manifestation ceremony accidentally summons the villain of her popular book series. He’s here, he’s hot, and he wants to go home- but Gertie has no idea how to send him back.
If you’re looking for a hilarious, laugh-out-loud romantic comedy, Romantic Hero should be first on your list. I’m not exaggerating- I haven’t laughed out loud this many times since reading The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy!
Into the Blue
Teen AJ Graves spends her summer working at the local video rental store watching reruns of her favorite sci-fi improv comedy show, Astronauticals, starring the iconic Eudora Drew. The Drews are a famous acting dynasty local to her small town, although they are reclusive.
One day, AJ’s boss surprises her with a new coworker: Noah Drew, Eudora’s nephew. The two become fast friends, and eventually acting partners (coached by the queen Eudora herself). After months of bonding, AJ and Noah share a kiss, only for Noah to disappear out of her life without so much as a goodbye.
Years later, AJ and Noah find themselves to be cast alongside one another in a revival of Astronauticals. What follows next is an emotional love story as AJ and Noah reconnect and try to confront the truth about what happened years ago.
While Into the Blue is lovely and emotional, it is the darkest book on this list. If you’re looking for something heartwrenching, it’s a wonderful choice. If you want something more lighthearted, one of the other books here would be a better fit.
Reasons to Be Loved by You
When I stumbled across this book written by former Bachelorette Hannah Brown, I just had to pick it up- and I’m glad I did!
Former reality TV star Nikki Bennet is still recovering almost two years after her disastrous, televised almost-wedding where she discovered her fiancé was cheating on her right before walking down the aisle.
She decides to get out of LA and spend some time at her family’s lake house. However, what she doesn’t expect is to learn that her little brother just got engaged to Cara, the woman her ex-fiancé was cheating on her with! Even worse, they plan on getting married in a week.
Nikki joins forces with Cara’s brother, Nate, to stop the wedding. Along the way, she learns more about Nate, Cara, and herself- and nothing will ever be the same.
Phoebe Berman’s Gonna Lose It
Phoebe Berman has a problem: she desperately, desperately wants to fall in love, but she has a panic attack every time she tries to go on a date. One month before her 30th birthday, she decides to finally overcome her anxiety and lose her virginity. To help her achieve her goal, she creates a virginity to-do list: join a dating app, flirt with her coworker, and finally go on a date with the guy she’s been texting for over a year.
Phoebe’s journey to finally “lose it” is sweet, hilarious, and will resonate with readers who have suffered from anxiety of any kind.
The Paris Match
Some cities you just can’t say goodbye to. When physician Layla Bailey flies to Paris for her former sister-in-law’s destination wedding, she’s forced back to the city where her marriage began- and eventually fell apart. What she doesn’t expect is Griff, the grumpy best man who gets under her skin and, slowly, over the walls of her heart.
With its richly emotional leads, this steamy, character-driven love story is perfect for fans of Emily Henry and Carley Fortune. Just be warned- you may finish it and immediately want to book a flight to Paris!
And Now, Back to You
Jackson Clark and Delilah Stewart are rival meteorologists who have spent years clashing like thunder and lightning. Jackson is all about routine and reporting on the weather from the safety of his radio booth, while Delilah craves spontaneity and life out in the field.
Naturally, when the snowstorm of the century rolls in, they’re forced to cover it together. Eager to finally be taken seriously as a journalist, Delilah offers a deal: help her nail the assignment, and she’ll help Jackson rediscover the fun in life. As their reluctant partnership melts into friendship- and then something warmer- they have to decide whether or not their feelings can withstand the storm.
Happy Ending
Thea and Alex’s exes got together immediately after their respective divorces. Two years later, Thea and Alex are best friends, despite having almost nothing in common. When their exes invite them on a two-week “family” beach vacation with Thea’s dog and Alex’s daughter, they decide to fake a relationship to spite them.
If you’re a fan of the fake-dating trope or Funny Story by Emily Henry, you’ll love Happy Ending!
Scandal of the Summer
After escaping the London Marriage Mart, heiress Ruby Ballimore flees to the Cornwall estate of a princess. She doesn’t expect to meet pirate Malcolm Archer who is posing as staff of the estate alongside his crew while operating a massive smuggling scheme. Unsurprisingly, chaos ensues and sparks fly.
The only historical romance on this list, Scandal of the Summer is witty, steamy, and highly entertaining.
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