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Six Hot Beach Reads For Summer

Summer is time for breaking out your bathing suits and hitting the beach. Whether you’re craving a thriller or tearjerker, our sister company Simon & Schuster has a book for every afternoon spent in the sun. Throw one of these page-turners in your beach bag and prepare to lose yourself.

Related: Best New Books For Summer 2014

THE SUMMER WIND
By Mary Alice Monroe

The Summer Girls shot up the New York Times bestseller list last summer and was 2013’s must-read for afternoons at the beach. Now Mary Alice Monroe returns with The Summer Wind, the second book in her Lowcountry Summer trilogy—a poignant series of three half-sisters and their grandmother who is determined to help them rediscover their southern roots and family bonds. In The Summer Wind, all of the women return to Sullivan’s Island to embark on a season of discovery, until a tropical summer storm threatens their ancestral family home.

For Fans Of: The Summer Girls

TIME FLIES: A Novel
By Claire Cook

From the bestselling author of Must Love Dogs and Wallflower in Bloom comes a heartwarming new novel about self-discovery. Years ago, Melanie followed her husband from the charming New England beach town where she grew up to the suburbs of Atlanta. Now separated and yearning for adventure, Melanie embarks on a road trip with her best friend to their high school reunion. Time Flies is an epic road trip filled with fun, heartbreak, and friendship, and explores what it takes to conquer your worst fears…so you can start living your future.

For Fans Of: Sarah Pekkanen or Mary Kay Andrews

SWIMMING AT NIGHT: A Novel
By Lucy Clarke

Katie’s world is shattered by the news that her headstrong and bohemian younger sister, Mia, has been found dead at the bottom of a cliff in Bali. Refusing to accept the official ruling of suicide, Katie embarks on a journey to discover the truth. With only the entries of Mia’s travel journal as her guide, Katie retraces the last few months of her sister’s life, and begins to uncover the mystery surrounding her death. Swimming at Night weaves together exotic settings, suspenseful plot twists, and familial bonds in a powerful tale of secrets, loss, and forgiveness.

For Fans Of: Gillian Flynn or Jodi Picoult

THE WHITE PRINCESS
By Philippa Gregory

All hail the queen…of royal fiction, that is. #1 New York Times bestselling author Philippa Gregory’s latest novel tells the impassioned story of Elizabeth of York—daughter of the White Queen and mother of Henry VIII—who must marry Henry Tudor, the man who murdered her lover in battle. When a prince from the House of York invades England, Elizabeth must to decide whether to recognize him as her brother and a claimant to the throne, or deny him in favor of the husband she is coming to love.

For Fans Of: The White Queen, The Red Queen, or The Other Boleyn Girl

SECRET DIARY OF LIZZIE BENNET: A Novel
By Bernie Su and Kate Rorick

Based on the Emmy Award-winning web series, The Secret Diary of Lizzie Bennet reimagines the Pride and Prejudice story like it’s never been done before. After her video diary project turns her into a YouTube sensation, 24-year-old grad student Lizzie Bennet’s life is complicated by the arrival of the rich and handsome Bing Lee and his stuck-up friend William Darcy. But not everything happened on-screen–luckily for us, Lizzie kept a secret diary. Prepare yourself for a uniquely 21st century Lizzie. 

For Fans Of: Bridget Jones’ Diary or Pride and Prejudice and Zombies

LAW OF ATTRACTION: A Novel
By Allison Leotta

As a newly minted Assistant U.S. Attorney in Washington, D.C., Anna Curtis has already developed a thick skin. But when one of her domestic violence cases takes a horrifying murderous turn, Anna is forced to make a series of choices that jeopardize her career, her relationships, and her very life as she uncovers the shocking truth. Written by a real life federal sex crimes prosecutor and Harvard Law School graduate, Law of Attraction is a gripping debut from an exciting new voice.

For Fans Of: Lisa Scottoline or Kathy Reichs

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