In this post, I’m sharing 12 books that are perfect for building a fresh and exciting summer TBR list.
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There’s something about the spring and summer seasons that makes reading feel extra inviting. Maybe it’s the longer days, the warm sunlight pouring through the windows, or the simple pleasure of taking a book outside to read under the shade of a tree or by any body of water.
This year’s spring and summer reading list includes a mix of beachy escapes, intriguing mysteries, heartfelt stories, and compelling character-driven novels. It’s the kind of collection that pairs just as well with a cozy morning coffee as it does with a long weekend getaway. Some are light and atmospheric, perfect for slow afternoons, while others are the kind of page-turners that keep you reading long after the sun has set.
If you’re putting together your own seasonal TBR list, here are 12 books that look perfect for the months ahead.
12 Beach Reads and Page-Turners for Your Summer TBR
From beachy settings to mysterious plots, these spring and summer books are perfect for building your seasonal TBR list. Click a title below for the synopsis and purchase links. For even more summer reading suggestions, click here to see my complete list.
- Seabreeze Inn by Jan Moran
- Summer in the City by Alex Aster
- One Golden Summer by Carley Fortune
- Cleopatra and Frankenstein by Coco Mellors
- Heart the Lover by Lily King
- Murder Takes a Vacation by Laura Lippman
- The Shoemaker’s Wife by Adriana Trigiani
- The Girl from the Grand Hotel by Camille Aubray
- The Dinner List by Rebecca Serle
- So Old, So Young by Grant Ginder
- Remain by Nicholas Sparks with M. Night Shyamalan
- Best Offer Wins by Marisa Kashino
1 / The Seabreeze Inn by Jan Moran
After the unexpected death of her husband, Ivy is shocked to discover that their life savings were secretly spent on a dilapidated beach house in the small town of Summer Beach. Now a forty-something part-time art teacher with two daughters in college, Ivy must quickly rebuild her life. Determined to turn the historic property into a bed-and-breakfast, she begins renovating the home with the help of her sister, uncovering hidden surprises within its walls and discovering a deeper connection to the charming seaside town.
But starting over isn’t easy. Bennett, a respected local official and Ivy’s former high school crush, is hesitant to support her plans. Still grieving the loss of his wife a decade earlier, he’s wary of opening his heart again. As Ivy fights to convince the town to approve her new venture before the summer season ends, she may also find herself rediscovering love, community, and the courage to begin again.
2 / Summer in the City by Alex Aster
Elle, a twenty-seven-year-old screenwriter, lands the opportunity of a lifetime: writing a big-budget film set in New York City. But with her deadline looming and months of writer’s block behind her, inspiration feels impossible to find. Hoping a change of scenery will help, Elle reluctantly returns to the city she once vowed to leave, settling into a stunning apartment that seems like the perfect place to finally finish her screenplay.
Her plans quickly unravel when she discovers that her new neighbor is Parker Warren, a wealthy tech billionaire—and the unforgettable stairwell hookup she’d rather forget. Their awkward reunion sparks tension, but also an unexpected creative breakthrough for Elle. When Parker proposes a fake relationship to help his company during a high-stakes business deal, the two strike a deal that seems mutually beneficial. As they spend the summer navigating New York’s vibrant streets and pretending to be in love, their carefully constructed arrangement begins to blur the line between fiction and reality.
3 / One Golden Summer by Carley Fortune
Alice has spent years behind the camera, building a career as a photographer who captures other people’s lives while quietly standing on the sidelines of her own. The summer she spent at Barry’s Bay when she was seventeen changed everything, inspiring the photo that launched her career. When her beloved grandmother Nan breaks her hip, Alice proposes a return to the lakeside cottage where that pivotal summer took place, hoping the peaceful setting will bring comfort to them both.
But their quiet retreat is interrupted when Charlie Florek—the boy from that long-ago photograph—reappears, now grown into a charming and flirtatious man who quickly becomes part of their daily routines on the lake. As carefree days and warm evenings revive memories of Alice’s youth, she finds herself drawn to Charlie in ways she didn’t expect. For the first time, Alice may have to step out from behind the lens and allow herself to be truly seen, risking her heart in the process.
4 / Cleopatra and Frankenstein by Coco Mellors
Cleo, a twenty-four-year-old British painter living in New York City on a temporary visa, is still searching for stability when she meets Frank, a wealthy man nearly twenty years her senior. What begins as a whirlwind romance quickly turns into an impulsive marriage—one that offers Cleo security, financial freedom, and the chance to remain in the United States. Yet beneath the surface of their glamorous city life, the complexities of their relationship soon begin to reveal themselves.
As the novel unfolds, the story expands beyond Cleo and Frank to explore the lives of the people around them. Friends, lovers, and family members navigate identity, ambition, mental health struggles, and the fragile nature of relationships in a rapidly changing world. Through a series of interconnected perspectives, the novel paints a vivid and often bittersweet portrait of love, adulthood, and the unpredictable paths people take while trying to build meaningful lives.
5 / Heart the Lover by Lily King
During her senior year of college, the narrator—nicknamed Jordan by her friends—enters a vibrant and intellectually charged world after meeting Sam and Yash, two brilliant classmates from her seventeenth-century literature course. Living together in a professor’s elegant home, the boys invite her into their lively circle filled with passionate debates, late-night card games, and the intoxicating thrill of academic discovery. As Jordan grows closer to both men, her friendship with them evolves into a complicated and emotionally charged love triangle that shapes the course of their lives.
Years later, Jordan has built a life far removed from those intense and formative days of youth. But when unexpected news forces her to revisit the past, she must confront the lingering consequences of the choices she made and the relationships that defined her early adulthood. Reflecting on love, friendship, and the passage of time, the story explores how the bonds formed in youth can continue to echo through a lifetime.
6 / Murder Takes a Vacation by Laura Lippman
Mrs. Blossom has always been skilled at fading into the background, a talent that once served her well while assisting private investigator Tess Monaghan. But after unexpectedly finding a winning lottery ticket, she decides it’s finally time to embrace adventure and experience the world beyond her quiet routine. Her journey begins with a luxurious river cruise through France aboard the MS Solitaire, where she meets Allan, a charming man who awakens feelings she hasn’t experienced since the death of her husband.
What begins as a promising new connection quickly turns mysterious when Allan is found dead in Paris only a day later—despite having no reason to be there. As the cruise continues along the Seine, Mrs. Blossom becomes entangled in a puzzling web of secrets involving stolen art, suspicious passengers, and a persistent stranger named Danny who seems to appear whenever trouble strikes. Determined to uncover the truth, Mrs. Blossom must rely on her quiet observational skills as she navigates danger, intrigue, and unexpected romance.
7 / The Shoemaker’s Wife by Adriana Trigiani
The Shoemaker’s Wife is a sweeping historical romance that follows two young Italians, Enza and Ciro, whose lives first intersect in the breathtaking Italian Alps. Though their early connection is brief, fate continues to weave their paths together as both eventually immigrate to America in search of opportunity and a better future. In the bustling streets of early twentieth-century New York, their journeys unfold against a backdrop of hardship, ambition, and the immigrant pursuit of the American dream.
As the story spans decades and two World Wars, Enza and Ciro build lives shaped by resilience, family, and sacrifice. Yet despite the many forces that repeatedly pull them apart, the bond between them never truly fades. Through triumphs and heartbreak, their enduring connection becomes the thread that ties together this multigenerational tale of love, destiny, and the enduring strength of the human spirit.
8 / The Girl from the Grand Hotel by Camille Aubray
In the glamorous summer of 1939, the French Riviera sparkles with excitement as Hollywood stars, wealthy travelers, and international elites gather for the first-ever film festival on the Côte d’Azur. Annabel Faucon, an American fleeing heartbreak and a stagnant life in New York, arrives at the luxurious Grand Hotel to work under the supervision of her uncle, the hotel’s manager. What begins as a fresh start quickly becomes more complicated when Annabel is tasked with discreetly keeping watch over two unpredictable Hollywood guests: a troubled screenwriter and a rebellious actor whose actions threaten to disrupt the studio’s plans.
As tensions rise with the arrival of suspicious Nazi visitors and whispers of war looming across Europe, the glamorous façade of the Riviera begins to crack. Soon Annabel finds herself caught in a dangerous web of espionage, murder, and secret communications, where everyone seems to be watching everyone else. With time running out and the shadow of World War II approaching, she must navigate a world of intrigue and deception while risking everything to stop a sinister Nazi plot.
9 / The Dinner List by Rebecca Serle
On the night of her thirtieth birthday, Sabrina arrives at her dinner reservation expecting a quiet celebration. Instead, she discovers that the table has been set for an extraordinary group of guests: her best friend, three people who once played important roles in her life, and the iconic Audrey Hepburn. As the evening unfolds over shared food, stories, and memories, it becomes clear that this unlikely gathering is more than coincidence.
Through the magical setting of this surreal dinner party, Sabrina is forced to confront unresolved relationships, past heartbreaks, and the choices that have shaped her life. Each guest represents a chapter of her journey, prompting reflection, forgiveness, and a deeper understanding of love and loss. As the night progresses, Sabrina begins to uncover why these particular people have been brought together—and what she must learn from them before the evening comes to an end.
10 / So Old, So Young by Grant Ginder
Spanning two decades, this novel follows six college friends—Marco, Mia, Sasha, Theo, Richie, and Adam—whose lives remain intertwined long after graduation. Their friendships unfold through five pivotal gatherings, from lively apartment parties in New York to destination weddings and milestone birthday celebrations. As careers, marriages, and families reshape their lives, each reunion reveals how much they’ve changed—and how the bonds they once relied on are being tested by time, distance, and personal ambition.
Through humor, heartbreak, and the quiet complexities of adulthood, the story explores how friendships evolve as people grow older. While the group once believed their connection would remain unshakable, life has other plans. With shifting loyalties, unexpected challenges, and moments of reconciliation, the novel captures the messy, meaningful ways love and friendship endure even as the people within them continue to change.
11 / Remain by Nicholas Sparks with M. Night Shyamalan
After a difficult period in his life, New York architect Tate Donovan travels to Cape Cod to design his best friend’s summer home and begin rebuilding after a stay in a psychiatric facility for severe depression. Still grieving the loss of his sister, Tate is haunted by her final confession that their family possesses the ability to see spirits tied to the living world—a claim that clashes with his rational, analytical nature. Hoping for a quiet fresh start, he takes up residence in a historic bed-and-breakfast where he soon meets Wren, a mysterious young woman who instantly captivates him.
As Tate and Wren grow closer, he begins to sense that her seemingly peaceful life in the small coastal town hides darker secrets. Beneath the surface of the community lies a web of jealousy, resentment, and hidden motives that threaten both Wren’s safety and their budding relationship. Determined to uncover the truth about her past, Tate embarks on a search that challenges his beliefs about reality, fate, and the unseen forces that may connect the living and the dead.
12 / Best Offer Wins by Marisa Kashino
After losing eleven bidding wars in the cutthroat housing market of Washington, DC’s suburbs, thirty-seven-year-old publicist Margo Miyake feels increasingly desperate. She and her husband Ian are stuck in a cramped apartment, and Margo believes that securing the perfect house will finally set their lives back on track—saving their marriage, giving them space to start a family, and restoring the future she imagined for them. When she learns about a dream home that will soon hit the market, Margo becomes determined to buy it before anyone else even has the chance.
What begins as a strategic attempt to get ahead of the competition quickly spirals into something far more obsessive. Margo starts inserting herself into the lives of the homeowners, crossing lines she once would have considered unthinkable. As her actions grow increasingly bold and unsettling, she convinces herself that every step is justified in pursuit of the life she deserves. Yet as her plan begins to unravel, Margo must confront just how far she is willing to go—and how dangerous the pursuit of the perfect life can become.
Whether you’re reading by the pool, on a breezy patio, or curled up indoors with the air conditioning on full blast, a good book has a way of immersing you in hours of escapism.
I hope this post gives you a little inspiration as you build your own spring and summer reading list. There’s nothing better than discovering a story that completely pulls you in and makes you lose track of time.
If you’ve read any of these titles, or if you have favorite books you’re excited to pick up this season, I’d love to hear what’s on your TBR.
Happy Reading!
For more spring and summer book recommendations, check out my complete list here!
Xx Laura
This post was all about a curated list of must-read books for your summer TBR list. Like this content? Check out these posts below:
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