14 Summer Beach Reads

Maya Gupta is a survivor. After escaping an impending arranged marriage in India as a teenager, she has thrived in America. But now she faces her greatest challenge yet — cancer has invaded her life, and unless she find a way to participate in a clinical trial in Washington, DC, this may be one battle she loses. When Maya's best friend Kari offers Maya the lifeline of a place to stay — her brother's currently vacant DC apartment — the young woman eagerly accepts and goes to meet her fate. . .

Ben Evans's plans have changed, and he's heading home for some much-needed rest and relaxation during his off-season in the major leagues. Upon arriving at his DC apartment, however, Ben is shocked to find Maya — his sister's friend, who he hardly knows — in residence. He soon finds himself trapped between protecting his above-reproach reputation and searching for a way to help a woman he is coming to admire. When Maya's fight to survive her disease becomes more complicated than ever, she and Ben scheme an extreme solution to her predicament that tests to what lengths they're willing to go together to save Maya's life.

It is 1925, and the government wants to purchase the Rosefield family farm at the mouth of Zion National Park to build a visitor's center. Bradley and Ellen Rosefield refuse to sell. When they pass away, the two oldest Rosefield boys assign their sister Marissa to retrieve the land title from the St. George courthouse. There she meets a debonair government official from New York who sweeps her off her feet. But are his intensions honorable? Facing suspicion of murder and intrigue, Marissa and her brothers reveal strength of character they didn't know they possessed. The Rosefields of Zion celebrates the majesty of a landscape like none other on earth, while honoring the steadfast residents determined to stay true to their faith.

On the surface, Ilana Goldstein leads an enviable life: a thriving career and a happy marriage to a handsome doctor. All that's missing is a baby, an emptiness that will surely be filled with time...

Then, in an instant, her life falls apart. Now, beneath Ilana's once flawless exterior hides a dark secret that may destroy the woman who seemed to have it all. Following a rapid succession of crushing trials, Ilana turns to prescription medications to take the edge off her agony—both the ache of her body and the anguish of her soul. But when her desperation to dull the pain leads to the downward spiral of addiction, her friends in the Newport Ladies Book Club must do whatever it takes to save one of their own. Will Ilana's devastating losses bring about her own self-destruction, or will the loving determination of friends and family lend her the strength to overcome?

Marianne Daventry will do anything to escape the boredom of Bath and the amorous attentions of an unwanted suitor. So when an invitation arrives from her twin sister, Cecily, to join her at a sprawling country estate, she jumps at the chance. Thinking she'll be able to relax and enjoy her beloved English countryside while her sister snags the handsome heir of Edenbrooke, Marianne finds that even the best laid plans can go awry.

From a terrifying run-in with a highwayman to a seemingly harmless flirtation, Marianne finds herself embroiled in an unexpected adventure filled with enough romance and intrigue to keep her mind racing. Will Marianne be able to rein in her traitorous heart, or will a mysterious stranger sweep her off her feet? Fate had something other than a relaxing summer in mind when it sent Marianne to Edenbrooke.

Sadie Hoffmiller has always liked things to be just so. A place for everything and everything in its place. Order over chaos. And of all things Sadie should be able to control, her own wedding is at the top of the list.

With the big day just three weeks away, Sadie is busily adding the perfect final touches to her wedding plans. But the arrival of a mysterious letter that bears a San Francisco postmark and no return address could change everything. The only person Sadie knows in San Francisco is her older sister, Wendy, whom she hasn't seen or heard from since their mother's funeral nearly fifteen years ago. Sadie has faced off with murderers and crooks in recent years, yet the potential of her sister reentering her life is both overwhelming and frightening. But, as Sadie soon discovers, the letter is just the beginning. Wendy's world turns out to be a place of unanswered questions, twisted truths, and more than one motive for murder.

Jetsetter Elizabeth Embry is the toast of the town. A rising star in the fashion industry, she has traveled the world and lived a life of glamour and fortune. But beneath her carefree facade, Elizabeth is running from a past that won't let her rest. When a forme rcolleague reaches out with a job offer in the sleepy town of Jackson Hole, Wyoming, Elizabeth feels a spark of hope—perhaps this drastic change of scene will finally allow her to slow down. Envisioning an idyllic getaway at the mountainous bed-and-breakfast that has been arranged for her, Elizabeth is caught off guard by her immediate attraction to the aloof innkeeper. Ryan Brennan is certainly handsome, but what secrets hide behind that withdrawn exterior? Surrounded by people bent on playing matchmaker, the stage is set for a picture-perfect romance. But as past heartache threatens to overwhelm them both, can Elizabeth and Ryan let go of their pain and grab hold of a promising future together?

Shannon has remembered, and loathed, Nathan since their childhood meeting at the wedding reception that set her on a never-ending quest to find her Mr. Right. When Nathan steps back into Shannon's life, she is forced to reconcile her memory of the obnoxious boy he once was with the endearing man he's become. Nathan quickly becomes the best friend a girl could ask for—but when their friendship threatens to develop into something more, can Shannon give up the idea of the mysterious soul mate she's sought for so long?

Though she was only a child during the darkest days of Ireland’s Great Famine, Katie Macauley feels responsible for the loss of her family’s land and the death of her sister. Now a woman grown, Katie has left Ireland for America and the promise of earning money enough to return home again and plead for her family’s forgiveness. She arrives in Hope Springs, Wyoming Territory, a town sharply divided between the Americans who have settled there, with their deep hatred of the Irish, and the Irish immigrants who have come searching for a place to call home. Her arrival tips the precarious balance, and the feud erupts anew. Even in the midst of hatred and violence, however, Katie finds reason to hope. Two men, as different as they are intriguing, vie for her heart, turning her thoughts for the first time toward a future away from Ireland. Katie must now make the hardest decision of her life: stay and give her heart a chance at love, or return home and give her soul the possibility of peace.

Donte Noble has the life he's always dreamed of: a beautiful fiancee and a bright future as a doctor. But in a shattering turn of events, his future is ripped away. He is the number-one suspect in a murder case—and for everyone involved, including his fiancee, Donte is guilty until proven innocent. He's been framed. With the very real threat of conviction, he is left with no choice: he runs.

Living as a nomad, Donte crisscrosses the country, his new persona allowing him to hide in plain sight as he searches for an answer to his plight. That answer comes in the form of bestselling mystery writer Clive Granger, a man who believes the unbelievable—and as farfetched as Donte's story sounds, Clive is irrevocably drawn into the young man's quest to clear his name. As the ambitious duo embarks on their investigation, they begin to uncover a shocking trail of secrets, leading them to a killer who will stop at nothing to hide the truth...

Kate Worthington knows her heart and she knows she will never marry. Her plan is to travel to India instead — if only to find peace for her restless spirit and to escape the family she abhors. But Kate’s meddlesome mother has other plans. She makes a bargain with Kate: India, yes, but only after Kate has secured — and rejected — three marriage proposals.

Kate journeys to the stately manor of Blackmoore determined to fulfill her end of the bargain sooner rather than later and enlists the help of her dearest childhood friend, Henry Delafield. But when it comes to matters of love, bargains are meaningless and plans are changeable. There on the wild lands of Blackmoore, Kate must face the truth that has kept her heart captive. Will the proposal she is determined to reject actually be the one thing that will set her heart free?

Survival for Ki Lim and Sang Ly is a daily battle at Stung Mean Chey, the largest municipal waste dump in all of Cambodia. They make their living scavenging recyclables from the trash. Life would be hard enough without the worry for their chronically ill child, Nisay, and the added expense of medicines that are not working.

Just when things seem worst, Sang Ly learns a secret about the ill-tempered rent collector who comes demanding money — a secret that sets in motion a tide that will change the life of everyone it sweeps past. The Rent Collector is a story of hope, of one woman's journey to save her son and another woman's chance at redemption. It demonstrates that even in a dump in Cambodia — perhaps especially in a dump in Cambodia — everyone deserves a second chance.

A horse breeder by trade, Corbin Jonquil is more at home in the stables than in the ballroom of his sprawling estate. Corbin is the quietest of the Jonquil brothers and has always faded into the background, contentedly unnoticed. When a mysterious young widow, Mrs. Clara Bentford, moves into the neighborhood, however, Corbin quickly comes to realize that being noticed has its advantages. But how to catch the eye of the lady? According to his brothers, Corbin need only make a few simple changes to transform himself into the object of any woman’s desire—dubious advice, indeed. Following a series of misadventures, Corbin and Clara slowly lower the facades behind which they’ve been hiding, leaving Corbin shocked by the horrors that haunt the woman he’s coming to care for so ardently. When the menace of Clara’s past threatens to tear them apart and tensions mount, will the couple have the courage to fight for the promise of forever?

Love is hard work—something Nina and Elliot didn't anticipate when they rushed into marriage. Thinking their passion would conquer all, they never anticipated that cooking mishaps, laundry disasters, and a tug-of-war with a possessive mother-in-law could push them to the brink of divorce so quickly. If their marriage is going to survive, Nina and Elliot must not let pride stand in the way of their promise.

Mackenzie Graham's ideal assignment—writing an article on storybook homes—takes a dangerous turn when she photographs a clandestine meeting between a prominent judge, a black-market kingpin, and a crooked cop. When she is rescued from harm's way by a rugged cowboy-attorney, Mackenzie's life and career are forever changed. Flying bullets and wild bulls team up with romance and suspense in classic Keddington tradition.

What other summer readings suggestions do you have? Tell us your favorites in the comments!

See also: 10 Summer Reading Books for Kids and 12 Summer Reading Books for Teens


Find these titles and more on the Summer Reading List from Deseret Book. Purchase 4 books from the list and get a 5th book free! Must be of equal or lesser value of the books purchased from the reading list. 

-->Click here to find the list and the Summer Reading Passport, or talk to a Deseret Book store associate at time of purchase.

This offer is valid May 12th through August 3rd.

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