5 Perfect Beach Reads for Romance Lovers
Whether I’m laying down on the beach getting my tan on, or sitting on a deck with a sangria in hand, the warm weather gets me excited to get lost in a classic romance novel. Meet-cutes! Steamy tension! Witty dialogue! …Yes, please! Today I’m sharing five beach reads for romance lovers looking for some recommendations to kick-start your summer reading.
Beach Read
The title of this one makes it an obvious addition to this category, and the story itself has the lightness, emotion, chemistry and tension that you want from a sunny afternoon outdoors. *Beach Read by Emily Henry tells the story of January Andrews and Augustus Everett— two fiction authors who challenge each other to write novels outside of their genre to help them get out of their writing slumps.
As a reader, I found reading about two (very different) kinds of writers to be so fun. January and Augustus have different personalities which create for an entertaining dynamic as their relationship blossoms. Beach Read isn’t all puppies and rainbows though— there are some deep issues January specifically has to work her way through…thankfully no tears made it down my face but it was a close one, haha!
“That was what I'd always loved about reading, what had driven me to write in the first place. That feeling that a new world was being spun like a spiderweb around you and you couldn't move until the whole thing had revealed itself to you.”
By A Thread
There’s something about a good office romance story that gets me giddy and my eyes glued to the page. In *By A Thread by Lucy Score, the two main characters, Ally and Dominic, get off to a very rocky start and have to figure out how to work together in the same office without biting each other’s heads off. This enemies-to-lovers novel had me very amused!
After reading By A Thread, I ended up bingeing a handful of Lucy Score’s other novels too! I’ll be keeping an eye on her other releases :)
“Can I get you a drink?” Rude Sex Hair was back.
“I don’t know. Can you?” I shot back.
“We’re fresh out of the blood of children, Satan.”
Love Lettering
Honestly, how can I— a lover of all things stationery— resist a book with a main character who does calligraphy for a living?! It’s impossible, I tell you! When I first came across *Love Lettering by Kate Clayborn, I was immediately pulled in by the cover— the title, cute doodles, and promise of a New York adventure really hit all my “must buy” buttons.
I adored Meg’s passion for lettering! The way that Kate Clayborn describes fonts is captivating and I may or may not have geeked out when I read about Meg using tools like “microns” (anyone who watches my bullet journaling videos knows I use those pens all the time)! The relationship between Meg and Reid was slow, but sweet. I had a smile on my face whenever I got to witness their charming adventures around the city looking for signage to give Meg lettering inspiration.
“Yes, but it’s, you know—every year, you’re all, ‘March! This is going to be great! Start of spring!’ But it’s definitely not, right? Because there will be a weird, freak snowstorm, and it’s like winter’s started all over. Unexpected things happen in March.”
Marriage on Madison Avenue
*Marriage on Madison Avenue by Lauren Layne is the third instalment in the Central Park Pact trilogy— a trilogy that stole my heart last year. The books can all be read as standalones, but there is overlap between the stories so I’d recommend starting with book one. I really enjoy standalone-series because it allows you to stay immersed in a world for a longer amount of time, while also being able to explore new stories and characters…it’s the best of both worlds!
Marriage on Madison Avenue focuses on Audrey’s relationship with her best friend, Clarke. The two of them end up faking an engagement and discovering along the way that they have feelings for one another that aren’t fake at all.
I love this series not only because of the romantic relationships, but also because of the friendship between Audrey, Naomi, and Claire. Each of these ladies have unique personalities, but they come together to create this beautiful support system. I’m always a fan of books that celebrate and spotlight female friendship!
You’re The One
Layla Hagen is an author I binged in 2019— her books are my go-to when I’m looking to dive into a sweet contemporary romance! *You’re The One is one of her most recent releases and it, like Marriage on Madison Avenue, has the friends-to-lovers, fake marriage trope (I’ve been reading an alarming number of fake-engagement/marriage novels lately…it’s amusing because the concept of a fake engagement in real life would be so insane….I’d be a stress ball, haha)!
Layla Hagen also has two romance series— The Bennett Family and The Connor Family— that tackle new couples in each book. I had a lot of fun with those as well.
Is anyone else feeling a sudden urge to get outside with a good book? As I finish typing up this blog post, I’m planning out my escape from work so I can go get lost in a new story! If you’re looking for more book recommendations, you can follow along with my reading on goodreads. You can also check out my “how to read more” video for some tips on how to read more— I share how I choose what to read, how I make time for reading, and my thoughts on ebooks!
Until the next time, Xo. —C.
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