Books That We Loved Reading On The Beach

Hurricane Beach by Lexie Nicholas is a heartwarming second-chance romance filled with coastal charm, small-town nostalgia, and a little stormy weather. When Anna, a recently divorced paramedic, returns to her hometown on the Georgia coast, she finds herself face to face with Jason, her former high school sweetheart and a grieving meteorologist. Set against the excitement of a hurricane approaching the Georgia coast, this heartfelt story blends small-town charm, family, healing, and the possibility of finding love again.

Disclaimer: This one doesn’t take place on the beach but on a lake! We still think it’s a great summer-y read for the beach!

The Rest of the Story by Sarah Dessen is a nostalgic summer coming of age story filled with lake days, family secrets, first love, and the magic of finding where you belong. When Emma Saylor unexpectedly spends the summer with her mother’s family at North Lake, she discovers a side of her family, and a version of herself, she never knew existed. Between warm summer nights, swimming in the lake, old memories, and reconnecting with her childhood friend, Roo, Emma begins uncovering the story of her mother and her own past. It’s a heartfelt, feel good summer read about family, self-discovery, and falling in love along the way.

Beach Thriller by Jamie Day is a twisty summer suspense novel set in the picturesque seaside town of Beauport, Massachusetts, where sunny beaches and charming coastal streets hide plenty of dark secrets. When struggling author Holly Sinclair returns to her family’s beach house, the place where her sister tragically died years ago, she hopes to turn her painful past into her next bestseller. But when someone known as “The Watcher” begins following her every move, Holly realizes that the secrets she came home to uncover may put her in danger. With ocean views, buried family secrets, an eerie beach town atmosphere, and plenty of suspense, this is a perfect beach read with a darker edge.

Something in the Water by Catherine Steadman is a sun-soaked psychological thriller that takes readers from the crystal-clear waters of Bora Bora to a web of secrets, lies, and danger. When newlyweds Erin and Mark discover something shocking while scuba diving on their dream honeymoon, they make a decision that turns paradise into a nightmare. As their secret begins to unravel, trust becomes harder to find and the line between right and wrong starts to blur. With tropical beaches, turquoise water, and plenty of twists, it’s the perfect beach read for anyone who likes their summer getaway with a darker edge.

“Have you ever wondered how long it takes to dig a grave? Wonder no longer.” – Catherine Steadman, Something in the Water

I Found You by Lisa Jewell is a gripping seaside mystery where a stranger found alone on the beach has no memory of who he is or how he got there. As a newlywed searches for her missing husband and a decades-old summer secret begins to resurface, three seemingly separate stories slowly collide. With a windswept coastal setting, buried secrets, and plenty of twists, this is a perfect beach read for anyone who likes their summer escape with a little suspense.

Disclaimer: This book was not recently published; however, we just got to it and really enjoyed it!

We think our favorite book genre deserve one extra recommendation!

One of the Girls by Lucy Clarke is a sun-soaked psychological thriller about six women escaping to a gorgeous Greek island for a bachelorette weekend filled with beaches, cocktails, and late-night swims. But beneath the picture-perfect getaway, everyone is hiding something and as secrets, jealousy, and betrayals begin to surface, the dream vacation takes a deadly turn.

“One’s a liar. One’s a stranger. One’s a cheater. But which one is a killer?” – Lucy Clarke, One of the Girls

When the Tides Held the Moon by Venessa Vida Kelley is a lush historical fantasy that sweeps readers to Coney Island in the early 1900s, where a young Puerto Rican immigrant discovers a mysterious merman tangled in the sea. As their unlikely connection grows, romance, magic, and the glittering world of the seaside carnival collide in a story about identity, freedom, and finding where you belong. It’s a dreamy, atmospheric read perfect for anyone who loves ocean magic, forbidden romance, and a little summer escapism.

Upon a Starlit Tide by Kell Woods is a dreamy historical fantasy set along the enchanting coast of Brittany, where a young woman rescues a mysterious stranger from the sea and discovers that he may be connected to a world of faerie magic. With moonlit shores, dangerous secrets, forbidden romance, and a touch of sea magic, it’s a captivating escape for readers who love their beach reads with a little more magic.

This Raging Sea by De Elizabeth is a dark, atmospheric fantasy set in a seemingly perfect coastal town where an idyllic summer takes a sinister turn. When a boy mysteriously disappears, a young woman begins uncovering eerie secrets lurking beneath the town’s beautiful beaches, drawing her into a dangerous mystery involving time, the sea, and something far more terrifying than she imagined. It’s a great pick for readers who like their beach reads with a spooky, supernatural edge.

“The sea remembers everything.” – De Elizabeth, This Raging Sea

The Wedding People by Alison Espach follows Phoebe, a woman who arrives alone at a glamorous seaside hotel in Newport, Rhode Island, only to realize she’s surrounded by strangers celebrating a wedding she wasn’t invited to. Over one unforgettable summer week of ocean views, champagne, complicated friendships, and unexpected connections, Phoebe finds herself caught up in the lives of the wedding party—and perhaps discovering a new reason to keep going.

The Coast Road by Alan Murrin is a compelling historical fiction novel set along Ireland’s rugged coast in the 1990s, where two women from very different lives form an unexpected connection. Against the backdrop of a tight-knit seaside community, buried secrets, and a society beginning to change, their friendship forces them to confront the choices, expectations, and sacrifices that have shaped their lives.

“We must look after our rebels, because they’re the ones who’ll protect us in the end.” — Alan Murrin, The Coast Road

The Great Divide by Cristina Henriquez transports readers to Panama in 1914, where the construction of the Panama Canal brings together people from vastly different backgrounds, each carrying their own hopes, struggles, and secrets. Set against the lush tropical landscape and the heat of the canal zone, this sweeping historical fiction explores love, family, ambition, and the human cost of progress.

“To be independent and to be sovereign were two different things.” — Cristina Henríquez, The Great Divide

The Wide Wide Sea by Hampton Sides takes readers on Captain James Cook’s final voyage across the vast Pacific, filled with uncharted waters, tropical islands, breathtaking landscapes, and encounters that would change history. Blending adventure, exploration, and the beauty and danger of the open ocean, this gripping true story is perfect for readers who want to escape to far away shores without leaving their beach chair.

Endurance by Alfred Lansing tells the incredible true story of Ernest Shackleton and his crew, whose Antarctic expedition turns into a fight for survival when their ship becomes trapped and crushed by ice. Facing freezing seas, brutal storms, starvation, and seemingly impossible odds, the crew must battle their way home across one of the most unforgiving environments on Earth. It’s an unforgettable tale of adventure, resilience, and survival on the open sea.

“No matter what the odds, a man does not pin his last hope for survival on something and then expect that it will fail.” ― Alfred Lansing, Endurance: Shackleton’s Incredibly Voyage

Note: This was not recently published and has been around for some time; however, it is still so worth the read.

Wavewalker by Suzanne Heywood is an extraordinary memoir about a seven-year-old girl whose family sets sail from England, planning to spend just three years traveling the world by boat but the journey ultimately lasts a decade. From tropical islands and turquoise waters to storms, shipwrecks, and life far from land, Suzanne Heywood’s childhood at sea is an unforgettable story of adventure, resilience, and growing up in the most unconventional way imaginable.

Heavy Oceans by Tyler Jones is a chilling ocean horror story that follows two estranged brothers who reunite aboard a fishing boat off the coast of Hawaii, only to encounter something terrifying lurking beneath the surface. As the vast Pacific becomes increasingly sinister, their trip turns into a fight for survival against a force they never could have imagined.

Scuttler’s Cove by David Barnett takes readers to a picturesque seaside village on the Cornish coast, where the crashing waves and charming coastal atmosphere hide something ancient and terrifying beneath the surface. When strange occurrences begin to plague the town, long-buried folklore resurfaces and the locals soon realize that whatever lives beneath the sea may be hungry. Perfect for readers who love atmospheric coastal horror, creepy folklore, and a beautiful seaside setting with a sinister twist.

“Life which, if you didn’t want to eat it, probably wanted to eat you.”

The Last Word by Taylor Adams follows Emma, a woman seeking solitude at an isolated beach house on the Washington coast, where a simple negative book review sparks a terrifying confrontation with the author. As the line between fiction and reality begins to blur, Emma finds herself trapped in a deadly game of cat and mouse where she can’t trust what or who is coming next.

“Life which, if you didn’t want to eat it, probably wanted to eat you.” – Taylor Adams, The Last Word

How Far the Light Reaches by Sabrina Imbler is a captivating memoir that uses the strange and fascinating lives of nine sea creatures to explore the author’s own experiences with identity, family, grief, and belonging. From mysterious deep-sea creatures to resilient ocean dwellers, Imbler’s stories beautifully connect the underwater world to the messy, surprising journey of being human making it a thoughtful choice for a beach read with a little more depth.

“If goldfish are doomed in a bowl, they are unstoppable in a river.” — Sabrina Imbler, How Far the Light Reaches

Against the Water by Owen Wright is an inspiring surfing memoir about Owen Wright’s journey from growing up in a small Australian beach town to becoming a world-class surfer. After a devastating wipeout at Hawaii’s Pipeline leaves him with a serious brain injury, Wright faces an incredible road back to surfing and ultimately returns to competition, earning an Olympic medal.

Move Like Water: My Story of the Sea by Hannah Stowe is about growing up along the rugged Welsh coast. Hannah Stowe’s life has always been intertwined with the sea, eventually leading her to become a marine biologist and explore some of the world’s wildest waters. From whales and seabirds to storms and remote coastlines, Move Like Water is a beautiful reflection on the pull of the ocean and the lifelong connection we can form with the places and creatures that call it home.