2025 alone has had some amazing book releases — from Rebecca Yarros' latest romantasy release, Onyx Storm, to the hilarious and emotional marvel Run For The Hills by Kevin Wilson — and a surprising number of them make for the perfect beach read. Typically, books you bring along on a relaxing vacation or a trip to the beach center around themes that are lighthearted, whimsical, or romantic. But sometimes even a bit of mystery can make for the perfect summer pairing.

There are several amazing novels that have already begun filling readers' summer to-be-read lists, but these ten will help to build out a well-rounded list that adds plenty of variety to any TBR — and ultimately avoids genre-specific burnout. Whether you're looking for the next swoon-worthy romance, or books with a shocking plot twist you won't see coming, these recommendations will meet every summer reading expectation with ease.

10 Beach House Rules

Written By Kristy Woodsen Harvey

Kristy Woodsen Harvey's release of Beach House Rules, which hits shelves on May 27, is the epitome of a perfect beach read. Not only does the cover inspire readers to bring the novel with them on their summer holidays or trips to the pool, but the story itself captures the feeling of a beachside vacation.

After Charlotte's husband is arrested for a white-collar crime, she and her daughter take refuge from the public eye — and a rather nasty social media , @JuniperShoresSocialite — at a beachfront former bed-and-breakfast that’s now home to a community of single mothers. While their time there ends up being more enjoyable than initially believed, Charlotte and the other women discover a link between them that may not be coincidental. This story explores found family, friendships, and has a really entertaining mystery factor throughout the narrative.

9 Don't Let Him In

Written By Lisa Jewell

Lisa Jewell's release of Don't Let Him In is easily one of the most anticipated thriller reads of the summer. Following the success of her other novels, including None of This Is True and The Night She Disappeared, Don't Let Him In is a psychological thriller that follows the lives of three women as they attempt to unravel the truth behind the men in their lives — with a shocking truth that is far darker than anyone could have imagined.

Her novels' suspenseful pacing, easy-to-follow plot, and character-driven storytelling make for an incredibly entertaining read.

Jewell has cemented herself as one of the best thriller writers of the last decade, and her novels' suspenseful pacing, easy-to-follow plot, and character-driven storytelling make for an incredibly entertaining read. If you love the idea of solving a mystery alongside a book's characters, Don't Let Him In will be the perfect choice to bring with you on any vacation — which will be released on June 24, 2025.

8 Can't Get Enough

Written By Kennedy Ryan

Can't Get Enough by Kennedy Ryan is the third book in the Skyland Series, which follows Ryan's other best-selling romances Before I Let Go and This Could Be Us. Each novel thus far has won over readers' hearts, and the release of Can't Get Enough has already made it one of Ryan's best yet. The novel has received hundreds of five-star reviews on GoodReads, and it's likely this will have you giggling and kicking your feet from the get-go.

Can't Get Enough was published on March 4, 2025.

Each book in the Skyland Series follows a different couple, and Ryan's third release finally explores Hendrix Barry's romance, a beloved character who was seen in earlier novels. Ryan is known for writing swoon-worthy and spicy romances, and the narrative between Hendrix and her love interest, Maverick Bell, is a forbidden romance that will make for a great beach read.

7 Atmosphere

Written By Taylor Jenkins Reid

Taylor Jenkins Reid, the author of fan-favorite novels The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo and Carrie Soto Is Back, has a new historical fiction novel hitting shelves on June 3 — Atmosphere. The narrative will follow the life of Joan Goodwin, a physics and astronomy professor who has been selected to become one of the first women scientists to NASA’s Space Shuttle program in the 1980s.

Atmosphere's story will evoke a multitude of emotions while reading, and the narrative makes sure to feature several strong female characters and further explore the dynamics of what life was like for women in the 80s — especially in a male-dominated field. Early reviewers have also expressed their love for Reid's character development in this novel, and have claimed Atmosphere to be one of Taylor Jenkins Reid's best books to date.

6 Great Big Beautiful Life

Written By Emily Henry

Emily Henry's romance novels are always a summertime favorite, and Great Big Beautiful Life is a great addition to any summer TBR. The novel follows the lives of two writers, Alice and Hayden, who are in a competition to win the right to write a story about the great Margaret Ives — a socialite princess who has been deemed missing for several decades.

Henry's latest novel is a bit of a departure from what fans have become used to with her prior romance books, as the story throughout Great Big Beautiful Life explores the dynamics of love in a very different way than Henry has in the past. Instead of centering the narrative primarily around the two romantic leads, readers get to experience and learn about Margaret Ives and her past as well. While this definitely reads differently from Henry's other works, it is incredibly endearing, heartwarming, and a perfect beach read.

5 A Murder For Miss Hortense

Written By Mel Pennant

Mel Pennant's debut novel, A Murder For Miss Hortense —which is set to release on June 10, 2025 — is a cozy murder mystery that follows a retired nurse as she uses her investigative skills and knack for understanding people to help solve a murder. But as the mystery begins to unfold, Miss Hortense will be forced to relive her long-buried past. The story is told both in the present day and in the past, with flashbacks to when Miss Hortense first emigrated from Jamaica to the United Kingdom in the 1960s.

A Murder for Miss Hortense is perfect for fans of The Thursday Murder Club books by Richard Osman or The Maid's Secret by Nita Prose, as the narrative similarly contains minimal violence and features an amateur sleuth while exploring a lighthearted plot. While this is Pennant's first novel, there are those who believe the book could be expanded into a series in the near future.

4 Flirting Lessons

Written By Jasmine Guillory

Jasmine Guillory, author of the best-selling novels The Wedding Date and Drunk On Love, is releasing a new contemporary romance — and it's another top summer read. Flirting Lessons is a sapphic romance following the lives of Avery Jenson, a recently single event planner, and Taylor Cameron, who also went through a breakup and has an ongoing bet with her friends that she'll remain single over the course of two months. While Taylor is forbidden from dating during this period, she uses her free time to give Avery flirting lessons — which eventually sparks a steamy romance between the two characters instead.

3 One Golden Summer

Written By Carley Fortune

Following the success of her other summer-themed books, including Every Summer After and Meet Me At The Lake, Carley Fortune's One Golden Summer will once again feature a love story set in the summer months in Canada. Her books are always the perfect addition to any summer reading list, and One Golden Summer is proving to be one of the top choices among readers.

Since its release on May 6, several readers on BookTok and other social media platforms have expressed their love for the book and excitement about picking it up.

Since its release on May 6, several readers on BookTok and other social media platforms have expressed their love for the book and excitement about picking it up. One Golden Summer will build upon Fortune's previous romance novel, Every Summer After, and build out a romance arc for the character Charlie Florek with the charismatic photographer Alice Everly. The novel is another of Fortune's best works, and the romance throughout is everything a beach read should be.

2 Julie Chan Is Dead

Written By Liann Zhang

Julie Chan is Dead by Liann Zhang is another gripping thriller novel, published on April 29, 2025, that follows the life of Julie Chan, who adopts her twin sister, Chloe VanHuusen's life, after finding her body under mysterious circumstances. The two sisters, separated at birth, had only just become reacquainted — but their lives couldn't be any more different. So, when the opportunity arises, Julie Chan seizes the chance to live the life she's always envied.

The novel explores sibling relationships superbly, as well as feelings of jealousy, the quest for fame, and the ultimate reality of being an "influencer" in the modern world. The narrative is extremely unique to others in the genre and one GoodReads reviewer even stated that the narrative was "a very weird and unhinged but fun to read thriller". Needless to say, this should make it onto your vacation packing list.

1 The Knight and The Moth

Written By Rachel Gillig

With how popular One Dark Window and Two Twisted Crowns are with readers, it's no surprise that Rachel Gillig's release, The Knight and The Moth, is one of the most anticipated romantasy books of the summer. The story will follow a diviner, Sybil, and a knight known as Rory, as they attempt to solve the mystery behind the disappearance of several other diviners — all whilst set in the gothic and mist-cloaked world of Gillig's creation.

The Knight and The Moth will seemingly blend the best parts of a romantasy novel — focusing on the tensions and yearning between its two main characters in equal amounts to the plot — with the ongoing mystery that plagues the narrative. Knowing how encapsulating Gillig's world-building can be, her release will be the perfect transportive read to pick up whilst relaxing in the summer — whether it be on the beach, at the lake, or even by the pool.