I didn’t actually go to the beach or the pool in July — I have two toddlers; if I had gone to either of those locations, I wouldn’t have had time to read anyway — but I did spend a decent amount of time on airplanes and had some time to turn my brain off with really good vacation-y books.
Phoebe Berman’s Gonna Lose It - Brooke Averick [ Amazon / Bookshop ]
Phoebe is ready to lose her virginity - now that she’s committed to the task, she end sup dating three different guys (a handsome new teacher at her school, a Words with Friends opponent, and her roommate.) Very charming, manages not to get into purity culture re: virginity.
The Lowe Job - Grace Alexander [ Amazon / Bookshop ]
Lili Lowe gets caught having an affair with her married boss (a politician) — her mom, Lydia, a former talent agent, capitalizes on it and throws Lili and her other two sisters, Stevie and Iris, into the spotlight. It’s Kardashian-esque, but also loving, a sharp, a little heartbreaking — very juicy. I liked this a lot and was fascinated to see where it was going.
The Whistler - Ann Patchett [ Amazon / Bookshop ]
A sweet intimate novel about 53-year old Daphne running into one of her former stepfathers at the Met and figuring out what really happened during her childhood. I kept waiting for something bad — and something bad does happen, but not the bad thing I expected — and instead it was sweet/loving/endearing. Not my top Ann Patchett novel but as good as you’d expect.
The Romance Revival - Christina Lauren [ Amazon / Bookshop ]
Emery married Luca despite their opposite natures — three years in, Emery is sucked up in her deep research job creating technology that possibly brings people back to life. And whoops, Luca gets hit by a car and needs to use it. Now they have to figure out: Do they still belong together? A little silly at times but I really like Christina Lauren.
In Stormy Weather - Chelsea Curto [ Amazon / Bookshop ]
Enemies-to-lovers/childhood friends who become more in the form of two meteorologists storm chasing and competing for a job in Florida, while also being livestreamers. A lot going on here but it works.
Extracurricular - Rachel Lynn Solomon [ Amazon / Bookshop ]
Ramona’s a child star turned young adult pop star who burns out fast in her mid-20s and decides to go to college, where her first professor is handsome new divorcee Nick. They hit it off, etc, etc. I like famous-people-date-normal-people stories so this worked for me, and Rachel Lynn Solomon is a reliable hit for me.
Love You More - Emily Giffin [ Amazon / Bookshop ]
Billie is a thriving fertility doctor in NYC engaged to handsome nice guy Dean — when her best friend dies in a car crash and she’s called back to her hometown in Wisconsin by her first love, Mick, to help deal with the ramifications (including a kid.) A little sad and spooked me out about possibly leaving my kids parentless, but mostly sweet and hot.
The Parisian Heist - Jo Piazza [ Amazon / Bookshop ]
I love Jo Piazza - this is another perfect summer read. Two timelines: (1) Emma’s a struggling artist in Paris in the 90s (I think) working as a cleaning lady for rich lady Stella Swanson, who ultimately enlists her in pulling off a heist. (2) In the late 1800s, Claire befriends Jo van Gogh, the widow who inherits hundreds of her brother-in-law’s Vincent van Gogh’s paintings and is determined to build his legacy. I don’t know shit about art but I love a good heist story and I love light historical fiction. Really fun.
The Shampoo Effect - Jenny Jackson [ Amazon / Bookshop ]
Soapy goodness about Caroline, a nepo-baby writer who moves to a beach town in Massachusetts for a fellowship and falls for handsome scientist Van, who runs with the same crew he grew up with. Dive into the mess about rich people behaving badly (in ways both understandable and not), some love triangles, exposed secrets, and how the more things change, the more they stay the same. A very good beach read.
For more book reviews:
When We’re in Charge is my leadership book for millennials and gen Z trying to do things differently. Pick up a copy in any format you’d like — hardcover, e-book, or audio book (narrated by yours truly) anywhere you get books, including Amazon or Bookshop.org or literally anywhere else. If you have Spotify Premium, you can listen to for free right this very minute. It’ll be out in paperback in September.
Love this whole list! And everything you write :)
A couple of these are waiting for me on my Kindle and this just helped push them to the top of the list. Love these recaps!