Books for Summer Vacation

Now that summer is in full swing let's add some new books to our TBR pile! If you're taking a summer vacation or just want a book to read by the pool, we've got a little bit of everything in our roundup of books for summer vacation.

For some reason, so many summer books are focused on summer romance. And while we like a good romance, sometimes we need something different. Here you will find romance, old friendships, new friendships, magic and the supernatural, lost love, scandal and revenge, ice cream, sun and sea, and lots of self discovery!

The books are set in Greece, California, Athens, Hawaii, Maine, Cape Cod, Belize, Florida, South Carolina, and made-up seaside towns.

Books for Summer Vacation

Let's jump right in!

People we Meet on Vacation by Emily Henry - A slow burn romance following two best friends over the course of a decade of summers, fall in love. Lots of character development as well as plenty of twists and turns!

The Seaside Sisters by Pamela Kelley - Two sisters find themselves at Cape Cod for the summer, yearning for a slower pace and the magic of books and beach! Spend the summer making new friends and rekindling old high school flames.

Beneath the Orange Blossom by Emma Cowell - Published in May of 2026, this new beach read features a widow and her best friends trying to recreate a summer in Greece from their teenage years including a long-lost teen love. But there is a secret that could ruin everything!

The Summer Pact by Emily Giffin - Four college friends make a pact that they never actually thought would happen. But, in the wake of tragedy, the pact comes into play. A reminder that when things fall apart it's who is by our side that really counts.

The Unhoneymooners by Christina Lauren - A fun filled romantic comedy with two sworn enemies to lovers trope while on a trip to Hawaii. It all started when a wedding party all got food poisoning and suddenly a free honeymoon trip is up for grabs. The more they play pretend, the more it starts to feel real.

Maine Characters by Hannah Orenstein - Two half-sisters meet for the first time at their father's cabin after his death and have to untangle their hidden family past. With one raised in NYC and the other in small town in Maine the two sisters couldn't be more different. Is it too late for them to learn to be family? Like parent trap for adults!

Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt - The quiet aquarium custodian befriends the octopus while working the nightshift. While trying to deal with the grief of loosing her son on the ocean 30 years ago she is also figuring out where this new chapter of life should take her. A touching story of friendship and strength. Beautifully written!

Summers at The Saint by Mary Kay Andrews - A mix of scandal, mystery, romance, and humor as a hotel owner tries to bring her historic coastal resort back to it's glory days. Featuring budding romances and long buried secrets.

The Layover by Lacie Waldon - The flight attendant decides to take one last flight before putting down roots and hangin up her wings. She discovers she is on the plane with her nemesis. And not only that, but then they get stranded in Belize. An enemies to lovers getaway for readers who liked The Unhoneymooners.

Summer Skies over Starr's Falls by Kate Hewitt - Another new read for 2026. A cozy, small-town romance about an ice cream shop owner who has a falling out with a teenager in town, only to then get a crush on her dad. Awkward! Fans of Virgin River will enjoy this book.

25 days in Athens by Jack Strange - this new release came out on June 5, 2026. This is a MM queer romance where the main character broke up with his boyfriend and is now invited to his wedding years later. Did he make a mistake? A story of self-discovery and second chances.

The Seaside Book Club by Helen Rolfe - Another new read, released in May 2026, this book features an online book club of women that find connection in one other. When one of them suddenly goes missing from the meetings they band together to find out why. A story of found family and true friendships.

One Golden Summer by Carley Fortune - When Alice's grandmother has a fall, Alice decides to take them back to the place they spent a summer in the past, the lake. She's also a burnt out photographer looking for a time when photos were just for fun. She stumbles upon a flirt from a past photograph. A slow burn romance that reminds me of the string theory - everything is connected!

The House in the Cerulean Sea by TJ Klune - A fantasy novel about the caseworker for magical children who is tasked to visit a mysterious house on a mysterious island. I loved this unique cast of characters and seeing the MC development through the story. Secrets abound, it's a story of found family and acceptance and maybe a little bit of love.

Rules for the Summer by Meghan Quinn - a lighthearted tale of two strangers in this "opposites attract" romance. She bought a failing shop; he proposed as a dare to escape his family's control . He needs a wife and she needs the money. But is this more than just a summer fling? Can they follow their own rules?

Duma Key by Stephen King - Looking for a spooky summer read? We got you. This is a suspenseful ghost story set in Florida where a disabled man discovers new gifts that hold a lot of supernatural power. What happens when the barrier between our world and the supernatural are breached? Paintings become portals to the past.

The Getaway Girls by Dee MacDonald - Three very different women set out on a getaway to remember. As they drive along the French seaside and Italian countryside in their campervan, there are sparks of romance on the road, surprise inheritances, and secrets that will eventually catch up to them no matter how far they try to go.

The California Dreamers by Amy Mason Doan - a coming-of-age story about a nomadic family in the 80's who live in their van and chase the waves to surf along the coast of California. This book is chock full of complex family relationships and finding beauty in the simple life. Decades later, the siblings reunite but a picture from their past is hiding secrets that could tear them apart.

My Magnolia Summer by Victoria Benton Frank - Escape to South Carolina where low country boils and family drama are piping hot. A tale of complicated relationships between mothers and daughters when Maggie comes back home to SC after living in NY to chase her dreams but rediscovers her own happiness. This book will transport you to the magic of the low country.

Fever Beach by Carl Hiaasen - A wonderfully awful picture of Florida following a group of white men who want to "take back America" and a hot-headed environmentalist with a passion for revenge. Featuring crooked Florida politicians and evil developers in an almost dystopian satire of life in Florida.

For more adult books check out Books If You Liked Project Hail Mary, 13 Witchy Books for Fall, or Taylor Swift Eras Inspired Books.

For kid book roundups be sure to check out Pride Books for Kids and Teens, Books about Diversity and Kindness, and our favorite Earth Day Books.