The Best Historical Beach Reads

 

There's something about historical beach reads that I love. Maybe it's how they immerse me in another time period during a beautiful summer or maybe it's the gorgeous homes on the coast that always seem to be present in these novels, but either way "historical" beach reads are my absolute favorite. So, grab a cold beverage and dive into one of these tales. These novels will definitely please historical fiction fans. All titles are linked to my review when possible.

 

The Last Summer at Chelsea Beach by Pam Jenoff - Who doesn't love a romantic historical read? This one is epic and I love that part of it takes place at the Jersey Shore.  Local friends will love this one!

Under a Dark Summer Sky by Vanessa Lafaye is set in the Florida Keys during the 1930s. The novel highlights the social history of the Keys, there's also romance, and the monster of a hurricane that hits the Keys in 1935.  

Beautiful Ruins by Jess Walter is not only a well written novel, it's also an amazing beach read because of the gorgeous setting of coastal Italy. 

The Summer I Met Jack by Michele Gable is an engaging historical beach read that is all about Jack Kennedy and his relationship with Alicia Corning Clark.

Summer of '69 by Elin HIlderbrand is historical beach read perfection set during the summer of 1969 and it is filled to the brim with family drama. 

The Last Train to Key West by Chanel Cleeton is an edge of your seat historical tale about the hurricane of 1935. Cleeton brings to life the Keys very well and makes you care about her characters. 

Summer Darlings by Brooke Lea Foster takes place on Martha's Vineyard in the 1960s. This one had a Mad Men vibe, which I loved. 

Malibu Rising by Taylor Jenkins Reid is brilliant. It involves surf culture, various time periods, major beach vibes, and family drama amongst the Riva siblings. 

Island of Sweet Pies and Soldiers by Sara Ackerman (Not pictured) - This novel depicts Hawaii during WWII.  Ackerman brings to life Hawaii so very well; I felt like I was there!  

Of course you can't go wrong with any of Beatriz Williams's novels! These are my favorite of her historical beach reads: 

The Golden Hour which takes place on the beautiful island of Nassau during WWII makes for a tropical setting along with the spies, traitors, and did I mention the Duke and Duchess of Windsor?

A Hundred Summers is my favorite of her novels, which takes place at the oceanfront community of Seaview, Rhode Island. It's a complicated summer filled with family drama, secrets, and a hurricane.

Cocoa Beach is a suspenseful thriller that takes place during the Prohibition Era in Florida.

The Summer Wives is set on Winthrop Island and focuses on a high society during the summer of 1951. It's very atmospheric and a mystery and some plot twists.

Along the Infinite Sea is the third in the Schuyler Sisters series and I loved the various amazing settings of this novel including the Breakers at Palm Beach.

A Summer to Remember by Erika Montgomery involves Old Hollywood nostalgia as well as the gorgeous setting of Cape Cod.

Haven Point by Virginia Hume is about sweeping family saga that takes place at the family home on the coast of Maine.

Radar Girls by Sara Ackerman takes place during WWII on the beautiful island of Hawaii.

On Gin Lane by Brooke Lea Foster takes place during the 50s in the glittering world of the Hamptons and a new hotel that has come to the island.

Last Summer at the Golden Hotel by Elyssa Friedman is about two families reuniting at their beloved hotel in the Catskills.

The Lost Summers of Newport by Beatriz Williams, Lauren Willig and Karen White is an immersive historical beach read that spans the Gilded Age to present day featuring the opulent setting of Newport.   

 

 

The Beach at Summerly by Beatriz Williams takes readers to mid-century New England filled with summer love, secrets and Cold War intrigue.

Hotel Laguna by Nicola Harrison follows Hazel as she starts over in Laguna Beach after WWII.

The Codebreaker's Secret by Sara Ackerman follows a brillant female codebreaker, difficult Japaense naval codes, and a pilot on an important mission during WWII in Hawaii.

The Cuban Heiress by Chanel Cleeton is inspired by the real-life story of the SS Morro on a round trip voyage from New York to Havana. 

 

Hula by Jasmin Iolani Hakes is a sweeping saga that follows three generations of Hawaiian women.

California Golden by Melanie Benjamin has some major Gidget vibes and brings to life the surf culture of the 60s.

The House on Biscayne Bay by Chanel Cleeton takes place in Old World Florida. It's filled with atmosphere, romance, and even murder!

The Beautiful People by Michelle Gable takes place in the 60s and is complete with a stars studded crowd, such as Lilly Pulitzer and Slim Aarons.

 

Recent Additions:

Husbands & Lovers by Beatriz Williams is a fantastic novel and was one of my favorite books of 2024.

The Days I Loved You Most by Amy Neff is a beach read/romance that is reminiscent of The Notebook. Grab your tissues for this one! 

The Island Club by Nicola Harrison is an immersive historical beach read that takes place on Balboa Island in the 1950s.

The House of Hidden Letters by Izzy Broom is an escapist beach read that takes place on a gorgeous island in Greek. The story has a present day storyline, but also flashes back to WWII. 

Our Last Vineyard Summer by Brooke Lea Foster is a nostalgic beach read about mothers and daughters and takes place on the Vineyard in the 60s and 70s.

The Martha's Vineyard Beach and Book Club  by Martha Hall Kelly is heavy on the historical side of things specifically how Martha's Vineyard was impacted by WWII. 

 

Let me know which books catch your eye and if you'll be adding any of these to your summer TBR list.  

Book Review: Summer State of Mind by Kristy Woodson Harvey

 

Pages: 384

Genre: Adult Fiction/Romance

Pub. Date: May 5, 2026

Publisher: Gallery

Source: Publisher for review

Other Books By Author: Slightly South of Simple, 

Feels Like Falling, Beach House Rules, A Happier Life,

Under the Southern Sky, The Wedding Veil, and

The Summer of Songbirds 

My Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars

 

 

Goodreads says, "After the worst day in her professional life, burnt-out NICU nurse Daisy Stevens runs to Cape Carolina, North Carolina, looking for a new life—and possibly new romance. On her first day at her “simpler” job, high school baseball coach Mason Thaysden discovers an abandoned baby, sending ripples through the entire tight-knit town of Cape Carolina.

Mason is still struggling to reconcile the scars of the injury that kept him out of the big leagues, stuck in his hometown, and searching for a way out. This newcomer and the child they’ve saved together might be just the motivation he needs to stay put. Sparks fly as Mason acquaints Daisy with Cape Carolina, introducing her to his friends and family, including his batty Aunt Tilley, who is looking for relief from long-buried family secrets and her own fresh start.

But as Daisy becomes increasingly attached to this abandoned child, and begins facing her own demons in the process, a startling discovery is made that threatens to rip the entire town of Cape Carolina apart, placing Daisy, Mason, and Tilley in the center of the storm. In a novel that proves that “Kristy Woodson Harvey is (the) go-to for elevated beach reads” (People), they will each learn that with love, understanding—and a community theater production of Hello, Dolly!—sometimes life conspires to bring us just exactly where we belong."

 

Daisy Stevens is burnt out; her life as a NICU nurse is exhausting, and after a rough time at work, she is hoping to start over at the coastal town of Cape Carolina in North Carolina. She is looking for a simpler way of life, but things start very complicated when, on her first day on the job, the local high school baseball coach, Mason Thaysden, brings in an abandoned baby he found in the dumpster. This kind of thing doesn't happen in sleepy Cape Carolina, so this sends shockwaves through the community. As Daisy spends more time with the abandoned baby, she not only starts to feel closer to the baby, but also to Mason as they spend more time together with his family and friends in the community. More secrets are about to unfold in Cape Carolina, and perhaps this isn't as simple as Daisy thought it was going to be. Kristy Woodson Harvey's Summer State of Mind is a family drama filled with small-town Southern charm and family secrets.
 
At first, I really enjoyed Daisy as she is starting her life over in a coastal community to escape the trauma that she left behind in the busy city. What better way to start over than in the town that once brought her solace? But things have been complicated since she arrived. Also, I enjoyed her budding romance with Mason, the baseball coach, and I loved the subplot of small-town baseball. This added to the "summery" feel of the novel; however, as the story progressed, I had so many issues with Daisy. I get that she is escaping trauma, but she brings all that baggage and more to Cape Carolina and becomes overly attached to her patient. I feel like she crossed some ethical lines in the story, and it really bothered me. Her over-attachment became really unhealthy, so unfortunately, this part of the story really rubbed me the wrong way. 
 
What did work in Summer State of Mind was the fantastic Southern setting, which you can always count on from Harvey. I also enjoyed Mason's family, including his quirky Aunt Tilley, who is also trying to escape her past and start over her life in her 50s. I do feel like she was written to be much older than she was, but other than that, I liked her subplot, including the entire Thaysden clan. 
 
I do feel like Summer State of Mind, compared to her other novels, lacked those extra special touches that make it a "summer" novel. It felt more like a family drama with a coastal setting. Summer State of Mind dealt with some heavier topics, so it wasn't as light a summer read as I was hoping. Nonetheless, I think Harvey's fans will enjoy returning to Cape Carolina and being drawn in by all the small-town antics. Not to mention the burning question of whose baby is it?
 
In the comments below, let me know if you are a fan of Kristy Woodson Harvey and if you plan to read Summer State of Mind this summer.   

 

Mini Reviews: Historical Beach Reads

 

There's nothing better than escaping in a summertime read that has a gorgeous setting that transports readers to a far away place. That's exactly what these two historical novels do; they would be perfect to get lost in this summer.

 

The Island Club by Nicola Harrison

Pages: 304

Pub. Date: April 28, 2026

Publisher: St. Martin

Source: Publisher for review

Other Books By Author:

My Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars

 

 

Goodreads says, "1956: On idyllic Balboa Island, just off the California coast, life seems peaceful and welcoming. But when the lives of three women begin to unravel in shockingly different ways, an unlikely friendship―and the game of tennis―may be the only thing that can save them.

Milly Kinkaid's plan to fix her crumbling marriage seems to be falling apart before it even begins. She believed that moving her young family from Hollywood to Balboa Island might entice her increasingly distant husband to come home earlier after work. Instead, he's barely coming home at all.

Society matriarch Sylvia Johnson and her husband have been pillars of their community for decades, and have just recently begun a new business venture: The Island Club, a place for members to swim, play tennis and dine in style. But when she learns that he has been risking their financial security and putting their family's future in grave danger, she's not only poised to lose the club, but the entire community she holds dear.

Meanwhile, standoffish loner Adele Lambert's entire world is on the brink of being destroyed if the dark secrets of her past and her hidden identity is revealed. Twenty years ago, she ran from a shameful scandal and left behind the only thing she ever loved. Now, terrified that the anonymity she's spent decades guarding will be exposed, but desperate to stay afloat, she risks everything to return to the game that brought her to her knees all those years before.

Set against the sun-drenched beaches of Balboa Island, with its prim and proper 1950s facade, The Island Club is a story of love, loneliness and the lies we tell ourselves―and what can be gained when the truth is finally revealed."

 

It's 1956 on Balboa Island, a small island off the California Coast. Three very different women come together over the summer, and their lives are forever changed. First, there's Milly, a young mother who has moved with her family from Hollywood to avoid the hustle and bustle of the workaholic crowd. She hopes that by living here, her husband will want to unwind more, spend more time with his family, and stop working late nights. However, he seems to have gotten worse. Then there's Sylvia, a pillar of the community and the owner of Balboa's exclusive The Island Club. This private club is where residents can swim, play tennis, and dine after paying the hefty fee to get in. All is well and good until Sylvia realizes her husband got them into a financial disaster. Lastly, there's Adele, who keeps to herself. No one really knows her backstory, but she has come to the island to hide from secrets that have plagued her for years. Her great love was tennis, and she finds herself being drawn back to the game, especially as the other women take an interest in it at The Island Club, but she is worried people will find out about her past. Nicola Harrison's The Island Club is an easy summer read with a great historical setting; the tennis subplot keeps readers entertained, and all the mellow drama that ensues on this island kept me flipping the pages. Ultimately, I was rooting for the women to find their way, and I liked how they challenged society's expectations.
 
A private island on the coast of California seems like the perfect setting for a summertime read, and Harrison does a wonderful job bringing it to life in The Island Club . Each chapter is from a different woman's point of view, so that helps readers dive into each woman's backstory and what makes them tick. All three women have secrets that they are hiding, and behind the perfect facade, perhaps their lives aren't picture perfect. I enjoyed how Adele, Milly, and Sylvia's stories were interconnected by the end. The Island Club is a charming summer read for fans of historical beach reads focusing on the power of women and female friendships.

 

 

 

The House of Hidden Letters by Izzy Broom

Pages: 400

Pub. Date: March 17, 2026

Publisher: Berkley

Source: Publisher for review

My Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars

 

 

 

Goodreads says, "For sale: Greek cottage. One Euro. Skye doesn’t make impulsive decisions. But when she sees a derelict Greek cottage for sale by lottery, she enters with dreams of a fresh start.

However, her heart sinks as she pushes open the tattered blue door weeks later. Can this wreck ever be her home?

Then Skye finds a bundle of letters hidden in the fireplace, their faded pages drawing her in with a story of long-forgotten love, tragedy, and unbelievable bravery.

But all the while, Skye’s own past is circling. No matter how far she goes, fate is never far behind…

This gorgeously sweeping, escapist dual-timeline novel is perfect for fans of Karen Swan, Victoria Hislop and Lucinda Riley."

 

 

 

Skye MacKinnon has won a lottery to buy a cottage on a Greek island for only one euro. The cottages date back to the 1940s and have largely been abandoned. It's up to Skye to get her cottage in working order, and once she sees the views, she is smitten. It's much different than her life in dreary England! While working on the cottage with local contractor, Andreas, she finds hidden letters dating back to the 1940s. Through these letters, Skye finds out more about the island during the war, the cottage's previous residents, and more. Broom includes chapters that flashback to the 1940s, which paint a brighter picture of the past. In addition to the flashbacks, there's also a focus on Skye, her new life on the Greek island, the other residents of the cottages, and the connection to the 1940s during WWII, when the Nazis infiltrated the island. The House of Hidden Letters by Izzy Broom is a novel that will transport readers to sunny Greece, and is perfect for readers who enjoy historical touches in their summer reads.
 
Who hasn't dreamed of escaping to a remote Greek island and renovating a cottage? This is an ideal fantasy right here, and I loved how Broom helped readers escape to Skye's world. She added a layer of intrigue by including a tie to WWII through the hidden letters; however, it never got overly dark, and hope was always bubbling to the surface. Also, I enjoyed Skye and Andreas' relationship, as well as the rest of the residents on the island. If you appreciate beach reads with an emotional plot and a strong sense of community, not to mention a gorgeous setting, check out The House of Hidden Letters this summer.

 

 

 

In the comments below, et me know if The Island Club  or The House of Hidden Letters is on your summer TBR list.

 

 

Blog Tour and Giveaway: Alli the Alligator

 

I always appreciate picture books that convey a positive message, and this new one, Alli the Alligator by Cindy Miller, highlights a beautiful theme of kindness and celebrating differences. This book would make a wonderful addition to an elementary classroom and serve as a reminder that our differences are what make each of us special. 

 

Learn More About the Book:

 

Alli the Alligator

Written by Cindy Miller

Illustrated by Joan Coleman

Ages: 4–7 | 32 Pages

Publisher: BookLogix (2026) | ISBN-13: 978-1-6653-1069-7

Publisher's Book Summary: "What happens when being different makes you feel like you don't belong? Alli Gator loves swimming and playing along the banks of the Rumbly River with her family. When she discovers children nearby, she dreams of going to school just like they do. But being the only alligator in a classroom full of children isn't easy. On her first day at Swamp Elementary, the other students stare, whisper, and laugh. Just when Alli begins to lose confidence, an unexpected moment reveals her bravery and kindness—and shows everyone that differences can be a gift."

 

Readers can purchase their own copies of Alli the Alligator at Barnes & Noble, Bookshop, and Amazon. Also, to learn more about Cindy Miller, please visit her website.  

 

The Giveaway:

I've partnered with Cindy Miller and The Children's Book Review to host a giveaway to celebrate the publication of Alli the Alligator. Readers who follow along on this virtual book tour will have the chance to win a hardcover copy of Alli the Alligator by Cindy Miller. Good luck!

 

Book Review: Last Kiss of Summer by Jessica M. Felleman

 

Pages: 320

Genre: YA Realistic Fiction

Pub. Date: April 28, 2026

Publisher: G.P. Putnam

Source: Publisher for review

My Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars

 

 

Goodreads says, "When Sera Watkins and her family arrive at their summer house on Cape Cod, she has one goal in mind: protect her heart from the boy who broke it, her next-door neighbor, Luke Tisdale. The problem is, Luke still has a piece of her heart—literally. When Sera received a new heart as a baby, the healthy valves of her old heart were given to Luke. Forever bonded, Luke and Sera grew up together, spending sun-soaked days swimming at their secret beach and painting at art camp.

Then, two summers ago, their friendship almost turned into something more. Key word: almost. Because one fateful night, everything changed. Sera’s health took a turn for the worse. A family secret sent Luke spiraling. And they weren’t there for each other when it mattered the most.

Now, Sera is ready for a fresh start, which means no more pining over the boy next door. But Luke has grown up a lot since she’s seen him, and the chemistry she felt two summers ago? It’s still there. Sera isn’t sure she’s brave enough to risk it all again, but when she gets some difficult news, she realizes there’s no time to waste. Maybe it’s finally Luke and Sera’s moment, their chance to enjoy the sweet kiss of summer together—before it’s too late."

 

 

Sera Watkins has returned to Cape Cod. She is looking forward to a summer of fun, but her next-door neighbor and ex-friend, Luke, is also back in town for the summer. They had a falling out and haven't reconnected since, which is a shame as they share a deep connection stemming from childhood. They are both organ transplant recipients. Sera has had a heart transplant, and Luke received Sera's heart valves, and the families have been connected by this event ever since. Thanks to flashbacks provided by Felleman, readers are privy to their previous summers together, the growing feelings between them, and the eventual fallout. Jessica M. Felleman's Last Kiss of Summer is a heartfelt YA summer novel that packs an emotional punch.
 
I really enjoyed Sera from the start of Last Kiss of Summer, and I think many YA readers can relate to her, especially if they have a chronic medical condition. She has to deal with that every day: the limitations, her parents' worry and hovering, in addition to a myriad of other issues - not to mention the everyday pressures of being a teenager. The more the summer progresses, the more Sera realizes that what went down between her and Luke was really just a product of miscommunication. Could they get back to the place they were before? However, in the back of her mind, Sera is worried about her current medical struggles.
 
The fictional beach town on Cape Cod is the perfect setting for a summer read. I really enjoyed that aspect of Last Kiss of Summer. I also really appreciated Felleman's take on chronic medical conditions as well as organ transplant recipients. Readers could tell that Felleman did her research and brought to the forefront what goes into the daily life of living with this condition. Felleman did it with sensitivity, and it brought a deeper level to the story. Lastly, fans of Nicholas Sparks and A Walk to Remember will especially appreciate this YA novel that gives readers all the feels. Grab your tissues for this one!