Are you looking to escape the hustle and bustle of everyday life? Or maybe you’re in desperate need of a serene, peaceful getaway without having to take out your passport or even leave home? Then it sounds like you need a book or three from this ultimate list of 2023 beach reads! While what defines a beach read is unique to each reader, my main requirement is that it entertains or provides me with an escape to a different place or time. So if that sounds like you, look no further. From contemporary romance novels to gripping thrillers, the books on this list are perfect for a day at the beach or pool, a tranquil outdoor retreat, or a relaxing day on the couch. So get ready to fill all those long, warm summer days relaxing with one (or several!) of these exciting page-turners. So grab your favorite beverage, get comfortable, and get lost in these sensational stories!
RELATED:
- Get our latest summer reading guide here.
- Interested in adding a classic to your summer reading? Tune in to the Summer Classics: 3 Iconic Novels to Heat Up Your Reading List podcast episode.
TOP 5 BEACH READS FOR 2023
Yellowface by R. F. Kuang
What’s the harm in a pseudonym? Bestselling sensation Juniper Song is not who she says she is, she didn’t write the book she claims she wrote, and she is most certainly not Asian American. Yellowface grapples with questions of diversity, racism, and cultural appropriation, as well as the terrifying alienation of social media.
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The Ultimate List of Beach Reads for 2023
2023 BEACH READS – ROMANCE
Love Buzz by Neely Tubati-Alexander
A chance romantic encounter during a wild night at a Mardi Gras bachelorette party sends strait-laced Serena Kahn’s carefully constructed life into chaos.
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Jana Goes Wild by Farah Heron
A delightful rom-com of one woman trying to shed her perfect image at a destination wedding with hilarious and moving results.
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The True Love Experiment by Christina Lauren
Sparks fly when a romance novelist and a documentary filmmaker join forces to craft the perfect Hollywood love story and take both of their careers to the next level. But only if they can keep the chemistry between them from taking the whole thing off script.
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Emma of 83rd Street by Audrey Bellezza, Emily Harding
In this witty and romantic debut novel, Jane Austen’s Emma meets the misadventures of Manhattan’s modern dating scene. As two lifelong friends discover that, in the search for love, you sometimes don’t have to look any further than your own backyard.
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Ciao For Now by Kate Bromley
A delectable enemies-to-lovers summertime romcom set in Rome about an American interning at a fashion house who butts heads with the designer’s surly son, and sparks fly.
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Same Time Next Summer by Annabel Monaghan
The ultimate summer nostalgia read about an engaged woman who comes face to face with her first love. Who she hadn’t seen in fourteen years but who she spent every summer with from age five to seventeen when he broke her heart. Calling into question everything she thought she knew about their love story and herself.
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Business or Pleasure by Rachel Lynn Solomon
A ghostwriter and a struggling actor help each other on the page and in the bedroom in this steamy romantic comedy.
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To Have and to Heist by Sara Desai
To exonerate her best friend, one woman must mastermind a jewelry heist during the wedding of the season in this hilarious romantic-comedy caper.
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2023 BEACH READS – CONTEMPORARY FICTION
Hayley Aldridge Is Still Here by Elissa R. Sloan
A page-turning novel about a forgotten child star and former Hollywood “It” Girl who is now fighting back against the conservatorship that has controlled her life for the past decade.
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Summer on Sag Harbor by Sunny Hostin
Spirits readers away to the warm beaches of Sag Harbor into a close-knit community of African American elites who escape the city and enjoy the beautiful warm weather and beaches at their vacation homes.
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The Daydreams by Laura Hankin
A deliciously entertaining novel about the stars of a popular teen show from the early 2000s and the reunion special thirteen years after their scandalous flameout. This will either be their last chance at redemption or destroy them all for good.
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Yellowface by R. F. Kuang
What’s the harm in a pseudonym? Bestselling sensation Juniper Song is not who she says she is, she didn’t write the book she claims she wrote, and she is most certainly not Asian American. Yellowface grapples with questions of diversity, racism, and cultural appropriation, as well as the terrifying alienation of social media.
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Summer Stage by Meg Mitchell Moore
A spirited summer page-turner following a family of actors grappling with fame, scandal, and ambition.
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High Time by Hannah Rothschild
A modern English comedy of morals and manners, about a highborn family of outrageous characters, in a story that proves revenge can be sweet.
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2023 BEACH READS – MYSTERY & THRILLER BOOKS
The Nigerwife by Vanessa Walters
This twisty and electrifying debut novel about a young woman who goes missing in Lagos, Nigeria, and her estranged auntie who will stop at nothing to find the truth is perfect for fans of My Sister, the Serial Killer and The Last Thing He Told Me.
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Bad Summer People by Emma Rosenblum
A whip-smart, propulsive debut about infidelity, backstabbing, and murderous intrigue, set against an exclusive summer haven on Fire Island.
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You Can Trust Me by Wendy Heard
In this gripping, stylish thriller, two best friends grift their way through the California elite, until a scam goes awry…with devastating consequences.
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She Started It by Sian Gilbert
A hot, twisty summer debut thriller about a group of young women whose Caribbean bachelorette party takes a sinister turn.
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Before She Finds Me by Heather Chavez
In this shocking thriller, two unlikely mothers race to uncover the truth behind a horrific attack—even after it becomes clear that the truth will destroy one of their families.
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Prom Mom by Laura Lippman
Tells the story of Amber Glass, desperately trying to get away from her tabloid past but compulsively drawn back to the city of her youth and the prom date who destroyed everything she was reaching for.
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2023 BEACH READS – HISTORICAL FICTION BOOKS
The Secret Book of Flora Lea by Patti Callahan Henry
When a woman stumbles across a mysterious children’s book, long-held secrets about her missing sister and their childhood spent in the English countryside during World War II.
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Deep as the Sky, Red as the Sea by Rita Chang-Eppig
A riveting, roaring adventure novel about a legendary Chinese pirate queen, her fight to save her fleet, and the dangerous price of power.
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The Paris Daughter by Kristin Harmel
A gripping historical novel about two mothers who must make unthinkable choices in the face of the Nazi occupation.
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Hotel Laguna by Nicola Harrison
A novel of love and hidden secrets on sun-kissed Laguna Beach as Hazel finds herself torn between pursuing her dream and the dream life she has been granted.
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The Beach at Summerly by Beatriz Williams
A ravishing summer read that takes readers back to a mid-century New England rich with secrets and Cold War intrigue.
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2023 BEACH READS – COZY MYSTERIES
The Late Mrs. Willoughby by Claudia Gray
The suspenseful sequel to The Murder of Mr. Wickham, which sees Jonathan Darcy and Juliet Tilney reunited, and with another mystery to solve: the dreadful poisoning of the scoundrel Willoughby’s new wife.
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Murder on Mustang Beach by Alicia Bessette
When a killer stirs up trouble in the Outer Banks, amateur sleuth and bookseller Callie Padget is on the case, in a new beachside mystery from author Alicia Bessette.
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Charlotte Illes Is Not a Detective by Katie Siegel
For anyone seeking to satisfy their Harriet the Spy or Encyclopedia Brown nostalgia, this modern, witty debut based on the popular @katiefliesaway TikTok series stars a twentysomething former kid detective who’s coaxed out of retirement for one last case.
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A Most Agreeable Murder by Julia Seales
When a wealthy bachelor drops dead at a ball, a young lady takes on the decidedly improper role of detective in this action-packed debut comedy of manners and murder.
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Mrs. Plansky’s Revenge by Spencer Quinn
Introduces the irresistible and unforgettable Mrs. Loretta Plansky, a recent widow in her seventies who is settling into retirement in Florida. One night gets a phone call from a voice claiming to be her grandson Will, who desperately needs ten thousand dollars to get out of a jam. Of course, Loretta obliges, but by morning, she has lost everything, but Loretta Plansky refuses to be just another victim.
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What do you think about these 2023 beach reads?
Have you read any of these books? Are any of these books on your TBR? What 2023 books would you add to this list? What makes a good beach read? Let’s talk about it in the comments.
RELATED:
- Get our latest summer reading guide here.
- Interested in adding a classic to your summer reading? Tune in to the Summer Classics: 3 Iconic Novels to Heat Up Your Reading List podcast episode.
- Listen to our Summer State of Mind: Discovering the Joy in Seasonal Living podcast episode and be more present this summer.
- Learn more about and join The 2023 Summer Reading Challenge.
- Looking for more beach reads? Check out our Quintessential Summer 2021 Beach Reads list.
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