Sizzling Summer Read on the Beach
Summer is here and the weather is cooking. We’ve got the perfect books for reading by the poolside or at the beach when you’re looking for something to match the sizzling hot sun.
Top Beach Reads
The Heartbreakers
By Pamela Wells
Sydney Howard—a member of the Honor Society, junior class president and certified over-achiever. Unfortunately for her, none of that is enough to keep Drew, her long-time boyfriend, when he grows sick of their relationship.
Raven Valenti—the “band geek” with a serial dating problem. After finding herself stuck between two guys—Caleb, her boyfriend, and Horace, her band partner—she’s unsure of what to do. Her indecision leads to both of her options splitting.
Kelly Waters—a lover of Ben & Jerry’s ice-cream with a crush on a boy named Will. She’s ready to take her and Will’s relationship to the next level. However, when he snubs her Valentine’s Day idea in favor of taking out another girl—claiming that they “aren’t exclusive’’—she’s left heartbroken.
Alexia Bass—an introvert and the only girl in her friend group with neither a boyfriend nor prospects. Alexia is perpetually single, which leaves her with plenty of time to console her heartbroken best friends. But what happens when the single girl finds love she never expected?
The Heartbreakers by Pamela Wells is a book full of fierce friendships and scintillating romance. There’s a character in which every reader can relate, whether you’re a bit shy, like Alexia, or possess a type-A personality, like Sydney. Further, Wells narrates what it’s like to deal with heartache—from reclaiming your positivity to moving on with your life.
The Band: Holding On
Sometimes letting go is the only way to hold it together…
The Band: Holding On is the third installment in The Band Series by Debra Garfinkle, and while you should definitely check out the first two books—The Band: Trading Guys and The Band: Finding Love—it can be read as a stand-alone. The titular band, Amber Road, is gaining a fan base. After lots of handwork perfecting their songs they have a regular gig at a local club. Everything seems to be going great for them, but secrets and misunderstandings are threatening to break them apart. Sienna finds herself falling for Carter, her best friend and band mate’s ex-boyfriend. She attempts to hide her feelings and push Carter back toward Tracy, but it’s harder than she imagined. Mark has found the love of his life, but he may be losing her because of a foolish mistake. Can the band overcome the betrayal and lies and stick together? You’ll have to read to find out!
Suite Scarlett
Scarlett Martin has worked at her parent’s dinky hotel, Hopewell, since she turned fifteen. She was, somewhat unfortunately, assigned the Empire Suite—home to Mrs. Amberson, an “aging C-list starlet” with a penchant for ordering Scarlett around. Scarlett’s many errands include (but are not limited to): fetching sushi, buying matches, finding a book on how to write a book and secretly premiering a Shakespeare play before her parent’s return home. As time passes Scarlett and Mrs. Amberson form an uncanny and unexpectedly close relationship. But when Scarlett meets a boy she likes, Eric, she’s still desperate to keep him away from her hectic life. Maureen Johnson’s novel is unique, funny and bursting with personality!
We Can Work It Out
The author of The Lonely Hearts Club Elizabeth Eulberg does it again in the sequel, We Can Work It Out. Penny Lane, created The Lonely Hearts Club in order to show other girls that they didn’t need a boy to define them. Amazingly, the group became more popular than she could have ever imagined. However, in the sequel, we learn that Penny has a boyfriend. She’s not a lonely heart anymore! Now she has to balance a boyfriend and friends, while fulfilling her desire to make sure both are happy. What about Penny’s happiness? Elizabeth Eulberg does an amazing job of capturing the voice of a young, teenage girl caught between a rock and a hard place. If you haven’t read her first book, definitely go have a look. This is a must-read that will leave you feeling like anything can be worked out.
The Teen Girl’s Gotta-Have-It Guide to Boys: From Getting Them to Getting Over Them
by Jessica Blatt
Jessica Blatt’s guide to boys is written specifically for teen girls—so all of her advice is tailored around going to school, pleasing parents and being young. Though boys can be confusing at any age, Blatt realizes that younger girls can sometimes have a harder time figuring out what they do and don’t want in a boy. She goes in-depth on the mechanics of relationships and uses interactive quizzes to help the reader determine if their crush is really someone they want to be with. There are whole sections dedicated to date ideas, how to give great gifts, how to kiss, and even how to say that final goodbye. So if you’re feeling insecure about being new to dating, or find yourself question how to make your crush notice you, Blatt’s Gotta-Have-It Guide to Boys is a good place to start.
Fringe Benefits
Adora Benet thought her summer would be chock full of fun and friendship—guess again! Dora’s besties, Eli and Liza, both jet off to foreign locales, leaving Dora to fend for herself in Brooklyn. Even her boyfriend Noel is forced to embark on a one thousand mile hike with his estranged dad. So what’s a girl to do when left alone in a big city? Well, her parents have already answered that: get a job. A reluctant Dora begins waitressing at an exclusive, members-only tennis club. She finds, to her surprise, that the job offers some stellar perks. Soon she she’s hanging around older girls, volunteering at an animal shelter with a smoking hot doctor and generally loving the fringe benefits that come with being around wealthy people. However, can she handle all the things that accompany her new life? Fringe Benefits by Valerie Frankel is witty, humorous and confident to boot. It’s a great summer read!
Catch a Falling Star
What’s Carter Moon to do when she finds herself falling for a star?
Carter lives in the quaint, slow town of Little, CA. She works at her parents’ restaurant with her best friend, Chloe. She stargazes with her friends to pass the time. She’s perfectly content with her quiet life, where nothing ever happens. That is until Hollywood decides to use Little as the shooting location for their next big movie. Suddenly it’s Christmas in June for the inhabitants of Little, and everyone’s excited to see the mega-star Adam Jakes in action. Everyone except Carter Moon. She couldn’t care less, which is the reason she’s chosen to be Adam Jakes girlfriend for the duration of filming. The job comes with a hefty paycheck, one she isn’t able to pass up, so she agrees. But she never expected to learn about the side of Adam the public never sees—the good side. What if she’s falling for him?
Kim Culbertson offers a warm, hilariously honest romance in Catch a Falling Star that you don’t want to miss!
