There is still time this summer to find a great book, grab a towel, and head to the beach for a perfect day of reading. Below I have some excellent beach read book recommendations for you!

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Romantic Comedy

I was close to increasing the stars because I really did like the plot of Romantic Comedy and for once the implausiblity didn’t bother me BUT the main female character was annoyingly insecure. Also, this book doesn’t hold a candle to the author’s novel American Wife.

Sally is a successful sketch writer for TNO (SNL) and one week a guest host/musician catches her attention. She thinks there might be mutual feelings but she blows it.

Fast forward a few years and everyone is isolated during the pandemic. The world-famous musician reaches back out to her by email and their correspondence leads to her visiting him in California. It’s a lot of will they/won’t they.

I liked the detail and attention given to the week before the live show. The sketch writing is a fun aspect and rehearsals seem extremely close to what actually occurs. The chapter full of the emails back and forth between the two main characters was my favorite – you know I appreciate witty banter. The pandemic played an important role and made the story seem more plausible.

The Five-Star Weekend

I liked The Five-Star Weekend better than Hotel Nantucket but less than Summer of ’69.

In the last few years a woman has became famous through her website and social media for her elevated recipes. Her daughter is in college and her husband dies in a car accident.

During her mourning process Hollis decides to host a 5 star weekend at her amazing home in Nantucket. She invites her best friend from each stage of her life including from her childhood a local from Nantucket who never left, her college roommate who is famous in her own right now, a mom friend from where she currently lives, and a follower from her website that she’s never met but has supported her after her husband died.

Each woman is going through a crisis of her own. Throughout the story you learn about their relationship and history with Hollis. There’s a little bit of romance but it’s not the focal point at all.

Friendship, convictions, finding oneself, and how women interact with each other are at the core of this story.

The Guilt Trip

The Guilt Trip is a suspense/mystery but the book is not scary at all. I’m glad I finished it but I rated it lower because the pace of the story felt off. Some parts needed to be sped up while others went so fast I felt a little lost and had to reread sections.

There are six main characters (three couples) at a villa in Portugal for one couple’s destination wedding. The bride is the newest member of the pack introduced to the groom by his brother. She’s a lot. She likes attention, seems to exaggerate, and the brother seems to be more put off by her than normal.

A number of events take place during the few short days leading up to the wedding that have the reader trying to guess who is in love with who. The crescendo is at the wedding which leads to answers for the reader.

I thought the ending came up very fast and it was a lot to wrap your mind around in a short amount of time.

Finlay Donovan Is Killing It

If you are looking for an easy breezy mystery that’s kindof cute with a little flirtation but no steam, unique circumstances, and is not scary Finlay Donovan Is Killing It might be the book for you. I enjoyed it but found it a little slow and a little too unbelievable for me. I did appreciate some of the inner dialogue.

Finlay is a divorced woman with bills stacking up. Her cheater of an ex-husband is trying to get full custody of their two young kids. Plus, a draft of her next book is due and she has zero pages written.

A big misunderstanding leads Finlay to consider becoming a contract killer for hire. The murder(s) get more complicated over time and there are a number of twists to keep things interesting but the story is still easy to follow.

The ending is very satisfying and leads directly into the next book. I might read the next one but don’t feel it is necessary immediately.

Looking for more book reviews? Check out my July Book Reviews!