Summer needs to be handed a speeding ticket! Where have the weeks gone? With only 2 weeks left before school starts we are busy trying to check off our last minute bucket list items. (Need a lobster roll STAT!) Thanks to a lot of beach time and pool days I have had plenty of time for reading. Any of these 10 books would make a great addition to your TBR list for the end of summer. Whether your prefer suspense, mystery, romance or comedy there is something in here for everyone. Read on to find your perfect book for the upcoming long weekend and make the most of these last beautiful summer days.

“The Last Time I Lied” by Riley Sager

When Emma Davis was 13 she was sent to spend the summer at Camp Nightingale, a prominent retreat for girls from the wealthy families of New York. After arriving late she gets placed in a cabin with 3 older girls. Vivian, the alpha-roommate decides to take young Emma under her wing that doesn’t leave her immune to Viv’s deceptive ways. On the Fourth of July, Vivian, Allison & Natalie sneak out of the cabin in the middle of the night and are never seen again. Fast forward 15 years, Emma is living in the city and has made a solid career as an artist, more specifically a painter. Hidden within each of her works are the three girls who continue to haunt her all these years later. When the owner of Camp Nightengale decides it’s time to reopen she approaches Emma to be the camp’s art instructor, a job Emma accepts after deciding returning to the camp would be the best way to discover for herself what happened the last time she lied. Will returning to Lake Midnight help Emma close the door on her ghosts or will this decision prove to be a fatal one. Told through dual-timelines, Riley Sager has written the perfect twisty suspense novel to get you through the summer. This reminded me so much of the campy-summer thriller movies of my teenage years and I would love to see this on the big screen. I’m thinking Lucy Hale as Emma and maybe the Hemsworth brothers as Theo & Chet. Be sure to pick up a copy of “The Last Time I Lied” for your next beach day.

“Bring Me Back” by B.A. Paris

On their way home from a ski trip in France, Finn’s girlfriend, Layla disappeared from a rest-stop. When questioned later, Finn could remember seeing a man leaving the bathroom headed towards his car and a truck with no driver parked with them. Upon discovering Layla missing from the car, Finn realized that both vehicles were now missing as well. Could Layla have been taken against her will by one of those drivers? In the end, all Finn found of her was a little Russian doll next to their car. After being under suspicion of murdering Layla, Finn is eventually cleared by the police and is forced to start his life “after Layla”. Twelve years later, Finn is engaged to none other than Layla sister, Ellen. As their wedding fast approaches the two start to receive mysterious signs that Layla might not really be dead. Little Russian dolls begin to show up on the wall outside their home, in various places they frequent and when the emails begin to arrive, Finn realizes that the lies he told on the night Layla first went missing might be back to haunt him. B.A. Paris has fast become one of my favorite suspense writers and “Bring Me Back” doesn’t disappoint. I only have one more title to read in her catalog but a little birdie told me that there is a new B.A. Paris book to be released in early 2020.

“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.) Be sure to add this one to your TBR list.

“Wedding Night” by Sophie Kinsella

This is it! Lottie is about to get engaged. Her boyfriend Richard has invited her to lunch to ask her a “big question”, everything is falling into place. She picked out the perfect outfit, even had time for a mani and she is more than ready to say yes when he gets down on one knee. Only a proposal wasn’t exactly on Richard’s agenda. In typical Lottie fashion she flies off the handle and calls her sister, Fliss, talking grand changes and life alterations as she does whenever she’s experienced a break-up. Fliss has lost track of the number of times a masters degree or a relocation has been on the table. When Fliss sets off on a two week vacation leaving Lottie to stew in her new singledom someone from Lottie’s past calls out of the blue and drags her out of her wallowing. Lottie agrees to have dinner with Ben, First Love Ben, beginning a series of whirlwind adventures that not only change the direction of Lottie’s life but Fliss’s life as well. “Wedding Night” is another fun, totally madcap story from author Sophie Kinsella that is read from both sister’s point of views. The gorgeous Greek island setting will leave you wanting to reach for your passport to see the sunsets so vividly described by Kinsella. Another perfect end-of-summer read.

“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 of 2019. Be sure to pick yourself up a copy before summer’s end.

“This Is Where It Ends” by Marieke Nijkamp

As the all school assembly ends in the auditorium the student body begin to slowly make their way towards the doors only to find every exit locked. As confusion begins to pass like a wave through the room one of the doors opens and a singular figure fills the frame. Tyler, who would have been a senior if he hadn’t dropped out, has returned and by his side is a gun. What happens next in less than an hour at Opportunity High School is both terrifying and filled with stomach-knotting intensity. Told through four different students perspectives you are brought on an all too realistic roller coaster in “This Is Where It Ends”. Reader, you will need to set yourself aside some time before opening this book because this isn’t one you will be able to put down without finishing. “This Is Where It Ends” can be found in the YA section and is written to capture the attention of a teen audience. I would highly suggest that parents read this book first or along with their teen who is interested in this title. There are some graphic scenes and themes that may need to be discussed with your young teens. Reading concurrently could also provide and open up a conversation about school and personal safety. I would not recommend this for readers under high school age.

“The Two-Family House” by Lynda Cohen Loigman

Rose and Helen are married to two brothers. Their families share a two-family home in Brooklyn in the 1940’s. The men are polar opposites – Helen’s husband, Abe, is fun loving and caring while Mort, who is married to Rose, is always displeased with something. Their differences don’t end there. Helen and Abe are parents to four sons and Rose and Mort have three daughters, one of Mort’s great disappointments. The two women find themselves pregnant at the same time and Mort is convinced he will finally have the son he always wanted. His demeanor changes and he begins to be kinder to Rose hoping to will his son into existence by bargaining with God. When the two brothers are on a business trip out of town, a severe blizzard falls over NYC leaving the women stranded as they both go into labor. The men return a day later to meet Helen’s daughter, Natalie and Rose’s son, Teddy. A night that should have bonded the two sister-in-laws forever instead caused an irreparable rift that would tear their family apart. Lynda Cohen Loigman has written a beautiful story with deep, vivid characters. This heartbreaking story of betrayal, jealousy and desperation is ultimately predictable but you become so invested in how this twist effects the family. Add this to your Fall TBR list.

“The Husband Hour” by Jamie Brenner

Lauren escapes to her family summer house after a very public funeral for her husband. Rory was a former NHL player who decided impulsively after being sidelined by a concussion to enlist in the military. When he is killed in combat, Rory becomes a hero in the eyes of the American public leaving Lauren now a twenty-something widow. Having been with Rory since High School, Lauren is now forced to figure out who she is without him. All she wants is to be alone and cuts herself from everyone vanishing into the fold of the sleepy beach town. As summer approaches Lauren’s parents and sister arrive at the beach house disrupting Lauren’s quiet lifestyle. Lauren & Stephanie have a tense relationship and the two of them under the same roof cause constant conflicts. When documentarian, Matt Brio finds Lauren’s whereabouts he rolls into town first running into Stephanie at a bar giving him the information he needs to find her sister. When Matt confronts Lauren at work he tells her about the film he is making on Rory’s life and asks if he can interview her. After family members agree to interviews behind her back, Lauren finally relents to a one hour interview about her husband but what truths she discovers will open her eyes to a life she didn’t know existed. A deceptive cover will lead readers to believe “The Husband Hour” is a light beach read but it is anything but. Jamie Brenner has written a story about family, hidden secrets, the effects of traumatic brain injuries among professional athletes and the many stages of grief. This was my first read by Brenner and definitely won’t be my last.

“I Found You” by Lisa Jewell

It’s been raining all day long and the man is still sitting in the same spot on the beach he was this morning. Now that night has come Alice decides to check on him. A single mother of three, forty-something Alice isn’t afraid of anything. Approaching a strange man on a dark beach with an old coat she had in her closet doesn’t phase her one bit. Drenched through after hours and hours in the rain the man seems to be suffering from some sort of memory loss. He has no idea what his name is, how he got there, why he is there…nothing. Unable to turn him away Alice brings him inside. Twenty-one year old, new bride, Lily, is patiently waiting her husband’s return home from work. His routine is clockwork, down to the minute. A half-hour passes, then an hour and Lily knows that something has got to be wrong. When the police are unable or unwilling to help her she puts herself on a mission to find her husband. She is informed that her husband’s passport is fraudulent and Lily is faced with the harsh reality that the man she married only weeks earlier isn’t who she thought he was. With alternating chapters taking the reader back to the summer of 1993 when Grey & Kirsty Ross vacationed in the town of Ridinghouse Bay, the same seaside town that Alice now lives in, pieces of this story begin to fall into place. Just when you think you have this one all figured out Lisa Jewell throws in some great twists changing everything you thought to be true. I can’t wait to add some more titles by Jewell to my TBR list.

“A Hundred Summers” by Beatriz Williams

Budgie Byrne is the life of the party, the girl that all the boys fawn over. Her life-long best friend Lily Dane, however, feels she is the complete opposite. In the fall of 1931, Lily & Budgie make the drive from Smith College up to Dartmouth to see Budgie’s latest boyfriend play in a football game. While she’s there Lily meets Nick Greenwald, the superstar quarterback. Lily and Nick begin a whirlwind romance promising each other forever. Fast forward to 1938, Lily is back at her family’s summer home in Rhode Island when Budgie and her now husband Nick breeze into town. Budgie begs Lily to pick up their friendship where they left off before she married her ex-fiance. Spending time with Nick again becomes difficult for Lily who is still unsure what really happened between them all those years ago. When a tremendous storm blows into their seaside paradise buried truths will be unearthed and Lily will discover the lies that have altered the course of her life. Beatriz Williams has written a gorgeous historically set story filled with love, friendship, betrayal, romance and suspense. “A Hundred Summers” is the perfect book to close out your summer reading. I can’t wait to pick up other titles by Williams. Be sure to add this to your beach bag for Labor Day weekend!

Til next time,

E

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