Dive into Thrills: The Best Suspenseful Beach Reads

So oftentimes beach reads are light, fun, and fluffy, but in a good way. Sometimes I just want to sit by the beach or outside and get lost in a lighthearted read....nothing too serious. On the other hand, sometimes I get sick of all the overly saccharine reads and want something with a little more weight and a little more oomph. Maybe there's a murder? Or an unreliable narrator? 

Today I'm sharing beach reads that still have many of the characteristics of a light novel, while featuring enough suspense to keep me on the edge of my beach chair.

Cocoa Beach by Beatriz Williams - Williams always does a good job of weaving history, romance, and suspense into her historical beach reads. I found this one to be a bit more suspenseful than her others.

The Weekenders by Mary Kay Andrews - A summer murder mystery set on a gorgeous North Carolina island.

A Single Breath - There's a ton of family secrets in this one and it kept me on my toes. Plus, look at that gorgeous setting!

The Blue by Lucy Clarke - This book features major drama and thrills aboard a yacht.

On the Island by Tracey Jarvis-Graves - This novel is the ultimate stranded on a tropical island survival story!

Under a Dark Summer Sky by Vanessa LaFaye - A hurricane is en route to the Florida Keys and of course it brings many dangers. Plus, it's based on the real-life hurricane that pounded the Keys in 1935.

With Malice by Eileen Cook - This is one of the best YA thrillers I've read in quite awhile. It's about a deadly accident set abroad in Italy and it involves amnesia, which definitely kept me guessing. 

 

 

 

Something in the Water by Catherine Steadman - A psyschological thriller that takes place during a honeymoon.  

 

 

 

The Perfect Couple by Elin Hilderbrand - This isn't Hilderbrand's usual beach read as it involves a murder! You may be familiar with the Netflix adaptation.

 

 

 

The Last Train to Key West by Chanel Cleeton - What seems like it should be a good time turns really stressful as the Labor Day Hurricane of 1935 approaches.

Hello, Summer by Mary Kay Andrews - A major dose of a mystery with this beach read that follows a journalist's quest for the truth.

Summer Darlings by Brooke Lea Foster - The second half of this historical novel has some major film noir vibes to it, which kept me flipping the pages. 

You're Invited by Amanda Jayatissa - A summer wedding in Sri Lanka goes badly... an engaging summer thriller. 

 

 

The Siren by Katherine St. John - A juicy summertime escape with a lot of plot twists and mysteries that takes place on a film set in the Caribbean.

 

 

 

 

My Summer Darlings by May Cobb - This is a steamy romance that has some Desperate Housewives moments in it and even a murder!  

She Started It by Sian Gilbert - A bachelorette party on a beautiful private island in the Bahamas turns bad and I mean really bad! 

 

 

 

 

 

The Guilt Trip by Sandie Jones - A destination wedding in Portugal that's filled with secrets and a whole lot of drama.  

 

 

 

 

Sunburned by Katherine Wood - A sun-soaked murder mystery that takes readers from the Florida Everglades to the sunny shores of St. Barth's.

The Amalfi Curse by Sarah Penner - This is a mystery + a historical fiction that will transport readers to the tumultuous shores of the Amalfi Coast.

 

 

 

 

One Perfect Couple by Ruth Ware - This thriller is about five couples trapped on a stormy island and there's a killer on the loose.

The House on Biscayne Bay by Chanel Cleeton - This historical fiction includes a page-turning mystery involving a Gothic mansion in Miami.

 

 

 

Summers at the Saint by Mary Kay Andrews - This murder mystery is set at a glamorous hotel, the Saint Cecelia, on the coast of Georgia. 

 

We Were Liars by E.L. Lockhart - This YA suspense novel shouldn't be missed and is now a popular TV series. 

 

 

 

 

 

Happy Wife by Meredith Lavender - A suspenseful, juicy summer read set in a private Florida community.  

On The TBR List:

 

  

1. The Last Ferry Out by Andrea Bartz

 

2. Beach Reads and Deadly Deeds by Alison Brennan 

 

 

 

3. Forget Me Not by Stacy Willingham 

 

4. Parents Weekend by Alex Finlay

 

 

 

5. The One Day You Were My Husband by Rosie Walsh

 

6. The Block Party by Jamie Day

 

 

 

7. The Unwedding by Allie Condie 

 

8. The Midnight Feast by Lucy Foley 

 

 

 

 

9. Summer's Never Over by Darby Bozeman 

 

10. Valley of the Moms by Hannah Selinger (Out 6/16) 

In the comments below, let me know what you think about the books that made my list. Have you read any of them? Let me know if you have any recommendations, too!

 

Book Review: Change of Plans by Sarah Dessen

 

Pages: 368

Genre: YA Fiction

Pub. Date: May 5, 2026

Publisher: Simon & Schuster

Source: Publisher for review

Other Books By Author: The Truth About Forever, 

Along for the Ride, Just Listen, Keeping the Moon,

The Rest of the Story, Once and For All, Lock and Key,

Dreamland, Someone Like You, The Moon and More, and Just Listen  

My Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

 

Goodreads says, "Finley has always felt most comfortable in someone else’s shadow. Fortunately, she’s got Colin, her magnetic boyfriend, who sweeps her along for activities, friendships, and future plans. Then she goes on a last-minute trip with her distant mom to a family vacation house that Finley didn’t know existed and is now about to be sold.

Her mom was estranged from her own parents and siblings since leaving home for college, and it’s a novelty for Finley to see her aunts and cousins, and to meet the handful of teens who work at the Egg, her aunt’s diner, and make up a found family of their own—including undeniably handsome guitarist Ben.

Then her relationship with Colin goes into freefall, and Finley’s roadmap for life after high school is gone. She has no choice but to live, for the first time, without plans. The longer Finley stays, the closer she gets to the truth about why her mother stayed away—and why she’s brought Finley here now."

 

 

Finley has her life all planned out, thanks to her boyfriend, Colin, whom she has gotten used to tagging along with for most aspects of her social life. But her plans are upended when the trip to New York City with her mother changes entirely, and they are off to her family's vacation home that she didn't even know existed. Finley's mother, whom she isn't even close to, is taking her to her family's house, filled with aunts and cousins that she barely knows, as they are ready to sell the house, and her mom wants to help out. But Finely has so many questions not only about the family she barely knows, but also her mother, who keeps them at arm's length. To make matters worse, Colin breaks up with Finley, and now she is really living her life without a plan, which at first is very tough. But the more time she spends with her newfound family, her cousins, and friends, the more she realizes that you don't always need a plan, and you don't always need to know the destination of your journey. A change of plan can be a good thing! Sarah Dessen's Change of Plans is a sweet coming-of-age novel about a transformative summer; Dessen writes this better than anyone!
 
I really appreciated how Dessen developed the relationship between Finley and her mom. By placing them right in the midst of family dynamics with her aunts and cousins, Finley gains insight into what motivates her mom, as well as some of the things she has been hiding. Throughout the summer, their relationship grows stronger, and Finley learns more about her family and herself. Dessen has a talent for creating authentic-feeling teenage characters, and that is definitely true in Change of Plans. The cast of characters who work at her aunt's diner, The Egg, felt genuine, especially Ben, the cook and guitarist, who caught Finley's eye.
 
While the setting is a fictional lake town, I really appreciated it and the laid-back summer vibes in Change of Plans. That aspect of the novel made it a perfect summer read.  While this isn't my favorite of Dessen's novels, I still thoroughly enjoyed it because she writes young adult novels unlike any other author out there. She truly has her hand on the pulse of what makes young adults tick, especially when it comes to that summer before college, when you are trying to figure it all out. I hope we get another novel out of Dessen and soon; I will always read what she writes! 

Let me know in the comments if you are a fan of Sarah Dessen and if you plan on reading Change of Plans this summer.  

 

The Best Backlist Beach Reads

 

Sometimes the best beach reads are the ones that have been out for a few years that fly under the radar or you may have looked them over. For the past ten years, I've compiled a list of my favorite backlist beach reads that shouldn't be missed! The best part about backlist beach reads is the fact that they are out in paperback, which is the perfect type of book to throw in your bag or luggage. This list has something here for everyone  - young adult, romance, and historical beach reads and when possible, I have linked the title to my review.

Young Adult Beach Reads: 

 

The Truth About Forever by Sarah Dessen

The Lake Effect by Erin McCahan

The Summer I Turned Pretty by Jenny Han

The Boys Next Door/Endless Summer by Jennifer Echols

Second Chance Summer by Morgan Matson

My Life Next Door by Huntley Fitzpatrick

Nantucket Blue by Leila Howland

The Season of You and Me by Robin Constatine

Along for the Ride by Sarah Dessen

Open Road Summer by Emory Lord

The Moon and More by Sarah Dessen

The Rest of the Story by Sarah Dessen

Save the Date by Morgan Matson

 

 

Adult Beach Reads: 

 

 

A Hundred Summers by Beatriz Williams

The Summer House by Hannah McKinnon

The Book of Summer by Michelle Gable

Slightly South of Simple by Kristy Woodson Harvey

 

 

 

 

 

Beautiful Ruins by Jess Walter

On the Island by Tracey Garvis-Graves

The Island by Elin Hilderbrand

All the Summer Girls by Meg Donohue

Under a Dark Summer Sky by Vanessa Lafaye

The Last Summer at Chelsea Beach by Pam Jenoff

The Night the Lights Went Out by Karen White

Villa America by Liza Klausmann 

The Unhoneymooners by Christina Lauren

The Summer Wives by Beatriz Williams

The Perfect Couple by Elin Hilderbrand 

 

 The Summer I Met Jack by Michelle Gable

The Husband Hour by Jamie Brenner

The Secret to Southern Charm by Kristy Woodson Harvey

The Southern Side of Paradise by Kristy Woodson Harvey

Summer of '69 by Elin Hilderbrand 

The Unhoneymooners by Christina Lauren

The Summer Wives by Beatriz Williams

The Perfect Couple by Elin Hilderbrand 

 

 

 

 

 

The Golden Hour by Beatriz Williams

The Islanders by Meg Mitchell Moore

Love and Other Words by Christina Lauren 

 

 

 

 

 

 Beach Read by Emily Henry

28 Summers by Elin Hilderbrand

Summer Longing by Jamie Brenner

The Last Train to Key West by Chanel Cleeton

Girls of Summer by Nancy Thayer

Summer Darlings by Brooke Lea Foster

Hello, Summer by Mary Kay Andrews

 

 

 

 

 

The People We Meet on Vacation by Emily Henry

Mailbu Rising by Taylor Jenkins Reid

The Invisible Husband of Frick Island by Colleen Oakley

Last Summer at the Golden Hotel by Elyssa Friedland

Under the Southern Sky by Kristy Woodson Harvey

The Last Thing He Told Me by Laura Dave

We are the Brennans by Tracey Lange

Golden Girl by Elin Hilderbrand

 

 

 

 

 

 Every Summer After by Carley Fortune 

  The Summer Place by Jennifer Weiner 

 The Hotel Nantucket by Elin Hilderbrand

   Meant to Be by Emily Giffin

 Sea Glass Summer by Miranda Liasson 

 Nora Goes Off Script by Annabel Monaghan

  On Gin Lane by Brooke Lea Foster

 The Lost Summers of Newport by Beatriz Williams, Karen White, and Lauren Willig

The Siren by Katherine St. John  

 

 

 

 

 Same Time Next Summer by Annabel Monaghan

The Beach at Summerly by Beatriz Williams

Hula by Jasmin Iolani Hakes

California Golden by Melanie Benjamin

The Cuban Heiress by Chanel Cleeton

Little Monsters by Adrienne Brodeur

Happy Place by Emily Henry

The Darlings by Hannah McKinnon

Save What's Left by Elizabeth Castellano

 

 

 

 

 Meet Me at the Lake by Carley Fortune

Pineapple Street by Jenny Jackson

The Summer of Songbirds by Kristy Woodson Harvey

Summer Reading by Jenn McKinlay

Tom Lake by Ann Patchett

The Firefly Summer by Morgan Matson

The Blue Bistro by Elin Hilderbrand 

 

Husbands & Lovers by Beatriz Williams

Sandwich by Catherine Newman

Summer Romance by Annabel Monaghan

Just for the Summer by Abby Jimenez

The House on Biscayne Bay by Chanel Cleeton

The Paradise Problem by Christina Lauren

Summer Fridays by Suzanne Rindell

Swan Song by Elin Hilderbrand

A Happier Life by Kristy Woodson Harvey

 

 

 Recent Additions:

 

One Golden Summer by Carley Fortune

Under the Stars by Beatriz Williams

Atmosphere by Taylor Jenkins Reid

Spectacular Things by Beck Dorey-Stein

Evvie Drake Starts Over by Linda Holmes

Elizabeth of East Hampton by Audrey Bellezza and Emily Harding

It's a Love Story by Annabel Monaghan

These Summer Storms by Sarah MacLean

The View from Lake Como by Adriana Trigiani

 

 

 

Have you read any of these beach reads? Do you have any recommendations for me? Let me know in the comments below.