This year our vacations may have turned into stay-cations but we can still easily escape to another time or place just by picking up a book. For me the perfect “beach read” is a light-hearted, feel good story that leaves a smile on my face. For others, it’s a mystery just waiting to be solved or a jump back in time to a place long forgotten. Whatever genre you pack in your tote for a day at the beach take a look at these 10 titles before hitting the road…or heading to the backyard. Happy Summer, Readers!

FOR THE ROMANTICS AT HEART…

“The Unhoneymooners” by Christina Lauren

Olive and her twin sister Ami are polar opposites. Where Ami leads a charmed life full of love and luck, Olive has a black cloud of mishaps following her everywhere she goes. Having recently lost a roommate and her job, Olive is facing another daunting scenario – being Maid of Honor at her bridezilla sister’s wedding. On the big day Olive is given a to-do list with over 70+ items, the worst of which involves being in charge of keeping the Groom’s brother, Ethan, or as Olive refers to him Satan, in line. When a newsworthy catastrophe happens at the reception Olive & Ethan are forced into impersonating their siblings on their honeymoon, a trip (lucky) Ami won. Only one glitch, due to the contest rules if they are caught in their lie all expenses will fall on them. Spending 10 days in Maui doing their own thing would be easy but having to pretend to be a newly-married couple could be mission:impossible for two people who can’t stand one another. The hilarious misadventures that begin after Olive and Ethan land in paradise will make it hard for you to put this one down without a smile on your face. After turning the last page I had one thought: what a perfect rom-com movie this would make! Gina Rodriguez as Olive would be the absolute perfect casting. For me, “The Unhoneymooners”, written by Christina Lauren (a writing duo whose combined names, Christina Hobbs & Lauren Billings, make up the pen name) is THE perfect guilty beach book.

Pick up a copy of “The Unhoneymooners” here.

“The Perfect Couple” by Elin Hilderbrand

Now this one is a great mix of mystery/suspense/whodunit/romance. The wedding of the year is about to happen on Nantucket. Greer Garrison Winbury has planned the most perfect weekend down to the very last detail for her son Benji’s wedding. His bride, Celeste Otis, has let her take the lead due to her mother’s recent cancer relapse, even moving the wedding date to early July to be sure that Karen Otis would be able to attend. Friday night’s wedding rehearsal had to be canceled due to the Reverend getting stuck but the clam bake rehearsal dinner went on without a hitch. Speeches were said, cocktails were consumed and as the night was coming to a close the wedding party headed into town to keep the party going. The next morning, the wedding planner arrived early to the Winbury estate to supervise a delivery for the Big Day to find Celeste down by the shore, hysterical and trying to pull her maid of honor, Merritt Monaco, out of the water. Merritt is dead. Everyone at the Winbury estate is a suspect and needs to be questioned. The secrets that will be uncovered will tear the “perfect” Winbury family to pieces. “The Perfect Couple” is an intriguing whodunit. The story skips between multiple POVs while transporting the reader between present day and flashing back to the early dating days of Celeste and Benji. Elin Hilderbrand has written yet another “perfect” read to pack for your next getaway.

Pick up a copy of “The Perfect Couple” here.

“Would Like to Meet” by Rachel Winters

Long-time assistant, Evie Summers, is determined to convince her boss that she is ready to be an agent. Her agency’s star screenwriter, Ezra Chester, has missed several deadlines for the newest script he’s been asked to write and the producers are starting to get angry. Evie’s boss sends her to convince Ezra to deliver his work within three months or his deal (and their company) will be over. Narcissistic Ezra, however, believes rom-coms are beneath him and unrealistic. In order to save her job Evie devises a plan. If she can prove to Ezra those romantic meet-cutes that happen in the movies can occur in real life then he has to finish the movie. Ezra agrees to her terms only if she will provide him with weekly written updates about her adventures. Evie begins to recreate iconic movie moments, hoping to meet her Harry on a road trip with a stranger or leaving her number in a book (a la Serendipity). As in every rom-com, nothing goes as planned and humiliation abounds as Evie stops at nothing to keep her deal with Ezra now if she can only get him to keep his end of the bargain then they could all live happily ever after. This debut novel by Rachel Winters is a refreshing, heart-warming read that fans of rom-com movies will love! You could completely see “Would Like to Meet” up on the big screen. If you are in need of a light, upbeat book to escape into, be sure to add this to your TBR list.

Pick up a copy of “Would Like to Meet” here.

“One in a Million” by Lindsey Kelk

Annie Higgins is much too busy to think about love. Her new start-up company Content London keeps her schedule full. Luckily she is in it with her best friend since childhood, Miranda. The two, along with their friend Brian, are taking over the social media world one account at a time. Even with recently being nominated for three major business awards, Annie & Miranda are constantly teased by two other marketing agents in the building. When one pushes Annie too far she challenges them to a bet – she can make the next person to walk through the door Insta-famous in 30 days. If Content wins, Charlie needs to pay their rent for the month. If Charlie wins, Content helps with his company’s social media for free. Competitive Annie isn’t deterred even when the subject of their bet becomes anti-social, historian Dr. Samuel Page, another occupant of their office building. Even if the odds are stacked against her (the man doesn’t even have a single social account, yet!) Annie’s bank account (or lack thereof) makes winning that much more crucial – well that and shutting up Martin & Charlie for good. Getting Dr. Page 20,000 followers in 30 days might seem attainable to Annie at the start but breaking into the fortress that Dr. Page has built around himself looks like it might just be mission: impossible. You guys, “One in a Million” is a smash. For those of you who love a good “feel good” read this is an absolute must. While reading I kept imagining Annie as if she was being played by Emilia Clarke. (Anyone else see this?) Crossing my fingers that someone turns this into a movie. I hadn’t heard of author Lindsey Kelk work before but her catalog has 15 other titles and one children’s book! I can’t wait to read more of these this summer.

Pick up a copy of “One in a Million” here.

“The Overdue Life of Amy Byler” by Kelly Harms

Amy Byler has been a single mother for the past three years to her teenage daughter, Cori and her tween son, Joe. Her husband, John, called from a business trip to China and announced that he wasn’t coming home leaving Amy with no income as a stay-at-home mom. She kicks into supermom mode and finds a job as a librarian at Joe and Cori’s private school, a way for them to stay in their home and keeps her children’s lives moving no thanks to their father’s mid-life crisis. Then, out of the blue, John decides to come back into their lives without warning. He asks if he can have the children for the first week of summer giving Amy some alone time she has rightfully earned. Amy wonders, what does a mom do with an entire week alone with no responsibilities when you have been living in survival mode for three years? She decides to head to New York City for a few days at a Literary Conference and a visit with her college roommate, Talia. Amy plans to do nothing but sit her in yoga pants, eat pizza and read books (who doesn’t want to do that?) but the best plans are meant to be broken. What awaits Amy in the city that never sleeps will open her eyes to what she has been overlooking for so long. I absolutely loved this book. Kelly Harms has created a movement in “momspringa!” that every parent can relate to. What would you do with a solo week off from all responsibilities? (Other than call home a dozen times a day to make sure everything was still standing.)

Pick up a copy of “The Overdue Life of Amy Byler” here.

FOR THE ARMCHAIR DETECTIVES & TIME TRAVELERS…

“The Guest List” by Lucy Foley

Dear Reader, you are cordially invited to attend the wedding of Julia Keegan & Will Slater on a private island off the coast of Ireland. Guests begin to travel across choppy waters the day before the ceremony as celebrations start with the champagne flowing freely. Julia’s 19 year old half-sister, Olivia, will act as her only bridesmaid, Will’s best man and ushers are friends from his elite private school days and the evening will be MC’d by Julia’s long time best friend, Charlie. With a celebrity bride and groom no expense has been spared to make The Folly’s first wedding spectacular. Sure the cell-phone service is lacking and the weather an impending disaster but that doesn’t stop Folly Owner/Wedding Planner, Aoife, from trying to pull off the perfect event. As day turns into night the guests get drunker, the storm outside grows increasingly more angry and tightly-wound threads of secrets begin to unravel in all directions. Speeches are given, the cake is cut and then the lights go out. A scream can be heard outside the marquis, someone has found a body. Told from the POVs of Olivia, Julia, Johnno (the best man), Aoife and Hannah (Charlie’s wife) “The Guest List” is a perfect, slow-burn mystery. Just when you think author @lucyfoleyauthor has shown all the cards she comes back with yet another shocker that you didn’t see coming.

Pick up a copy of “The Guest List” here.

“An Unwanted Guest” by Shari Lapena

The guests arriving at Mitchell’s Inn for a weekend of relaxation, connection and romance are in for an experience that they will never forget and for some…not survive. The hotel’s luxury rooms, fireplaces, gourmet food and endless activities draw ten unsuspecting guests to the Catskills during a terrible winter storm. With the blizzard raging outside and its employees unable to come to work the hotel is only staffed by its owner/head chef James and his twenty-two year old son Bradley. The two promise that their guests will still be well taken care of despite being short handed. After dinner the guests retreat to their rooms until an early morning scream draws everyone to the grand staircase where they find a guest dead. Unable to call for help due to down power lines the occupants of Mitchell’s Inn turn to a guest, a defense attorney, for advice on how to handle the accident. But soon when another guest is found dead it starts to look more and more like there is a killer hiding out in the hotel…or among them. Can the rest of the guests survive the weekend until help arrives or are more of them destined to die at Mitchell’s Inn. “An Unwanted Guest” is the second book I’ve read by author Shari Lapena (I reviewed “The Couple Next Door” back in September of 2018) and this one was far and away my favorite of the two. Once you get settled in on the number of characters and perspectives you hear from you can’t put this book down.

Pick up a copy of “An Unwanted Guest” here.

“A Murder in Time” by Julie McElwain

Kendra Donovan, a young stand-out agent with the FBI, is working on a task force to bring down two of the most wanted players in an international drug ring. When things don’t go as planned on their raid Kendra decides to take matters into her own hands traveling all the way to England to continue her search. Kendra arrives at Aldrich Castle to take out her target but when she finds herself in a dangerous situation she takes cover in a stairwell. Opening the door she has been hiding behind, Kendra steps into 1815. She first encounters the Duke who mistakes her for a lady’s maid. Convinced she has hit her head or hallucinating Kendra decides to go along with what is being asked of her to hopefully get some questions answered. Soon Kendra’s FBI skills are put to the test when a woman’s body is found on the castle grounds. Without modern day technology Kendra must find a way to solve this mystery while not raising too many questions as to who she really is all while trying to find a way back to her time. The first in a multi-book series starring Donovan, “A Murder in Time” was an absolute page-turner! This CSI meets Outlander tale is the perfect book for a weekend escape and good news is, there are five books in this series!

Pick up a copy of “A Murder in Time” here.

“The 7 1/2 Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle” by Stuart Turton

. A man wakes in the forrest at dawn with no memory except for the name, Anna. While still confused and uncertain of where or who he is, he makes his way towards Blackheath Manor. What he doesn’t yet know is that he will be forced to repeat this same day over and over again until he can solve the murder of Evelyn Hardcastle, the only way out of this game. Each morning he wakes in the body of a different guest staying at Blackheath, bringing pieces of his days inside his other hosts with him. Peter & Helena Hardcastle have invited everyone to the Manor to welcome their daughter, Evelyn back home from Paris after 19 years. The Hardcastle family have been at odds since the death of young Thomas that day by the lake and morbidly this party falls on the anniversary of his murder. Can the man piece together what becomes of Evelyn Hardcastle and escape the endless trap that his Blackheath before someone else beats him to it? This original, creative and clever mystery gave me a Clue meets Groundhog Day meets a sci-fi feels. It was so intriguing to see where author, Stuart Turton, was taking the reader next it made the book hard to put down. There are so many twists, turns and time jumps it will keep you on your toes. “The 7 1/2 Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle” was really unlike anything I’ve read before, really creative. This is a great read for fans of the mystery/suspense genre. Will definitely be rereading this!

Pick up a copy of “The 7 1/2 Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle” here.

“The Breakdown” by B.A. Paris

Cass is out with her co-workers celebrating the end of school year when a huge storm begins to brew. She decides to head for home promising her husband, Matthew, that she won’t take the shortcut through the woods. Driving conditions are terrible on the main roads so she decides to make a break for it and head in the direction she said she wouldn’t. She’d get there faster this way anyway. Sheets of rain are coming down as she nears the end of the lane. She can finally see another set of lights ahead of her and hurries on to catch up so they can share the use of headlights for the remainder of the drive but as she gets closer she sees that the car isn’t moving but instead is parked in the lay-by. Annoyed that she now has to squeeze past she flashes the woman inside a dirty look as she passes. Realizing this woman might be in trouble out here all alone in the woods, Cass decides to pull over as well. When the woman makes no effort to get out or signal for help, Cass decides to continue on and call the police when she regains cell service once she clears the woods…something she ultimately forgets to do. When she wakes the next morning, Matthew informs her there has been a murder not 5 minutes from their home. A woman in the woods was found dead in her car. Knowing Matthew would be furious with her if she told him she returned that way last night she keeps her run-in with the woman to herself but when the silent phone calls starting coming, Cass begins to wonder did Jane’s killer see her that night? Does he know who she is? When an author keeps you up until 1 a.m. you know you’ve found a gem.

Pick up a copy of “The Breakdown” here.