12 Great New Beach Reads to Take You Through the End of Summer

The Way You Make Me Feel, by Maurene Goo
Goo’s books were made to be read surrounded by sun, sand, and surf, and not just because they’re set in southern California. Clara Shin is a prankster of the highest order, but when she goes too far, she’s sentenced to a summer working with her dad on his food truck. And no, he doesn’t care that it means working with Rose, a classmate so uptight she could turn summer to bummer in an instant. But the longer she works with Rose, and the more time she spends with her very cute food truck neighbor, Hamlet, the less her forced summer plans feel like a punishment. Is it possible Clara’s growing up? Is it possible that for the first time, she actually wants to?

The Brightsiders, by Jen Wilde
Bless the arrival of Jen Wilde in queer YA, because she has upped the fun quotient by about a billion with her funny, charming, inclusive romances. This one stars Emmy, a drummer in a hit band who looks to have everything…including the propensity to party a little too hard, landing her smack in the middle of the tabloids and the hospital. It’s time for Emmy to get some breathing room from fame, and she does it together with her best friends and bandmates, who are more than happy to stick by her side. Unfortunately, Alfie’s sticking just a little too close; though she knows she shouldn’t be hooking up with a band member, Alfie proves to be too compelling and too much fun for her to resist. Definitely a must read for romance lovers, especially if knowing Emmy is bisexual and Alfie’s genderqueer makes this one shoot to the top of your to-read list.

From Twinkle, With Love, by Sandhya Menon
Menon is one of those rare authors who became an autobuy with her debut, and her sophomore definitely delivers. Twinkle Mehra has two goals: become a filmmaker and get her longtime crush, Neil Roy. But it’s Neil’s twin brother, Sahil, who’s trying to help deliver the goods on goal number one, and when he asks her to team up on a film for the Summer Festival, she can’t say no…especially if it’s an opportunity to get closer to Neil. But Twinkle doesn’t know Sahil’s got a plan for his longtime crush, too, or that she’s the object of his affections. Things only go further awry when she starts receiving mysterious letters from someone she’s sure is Neil, which distract her from the fact that she’s actually completely falling for his twin. Can Twinkle have it all, along with a Hollywood ending? Or is her love life destined to be a flop?

Always Never Yours, by Emily Wibberley and Austin Siegemund-Broka
I honestly can’t shut up about this incredibly cute and funny book, and I refuse to even try. It’s about a girl named Megan who always seems to be the last girlfriend guys have before they go on to find their true loves, even if that true love is her best friend. She’s getting used to it, though, and knows it means that no relationships are to be taken too seriously. If guys are just having fun with her, then she’ll go ahead and just have fun right back. But Megan becomes the lead in the school play when she lands the role of Juliet, and for the first time, she’s the main character in a story. And when she meets an aspiring playwright named Owen (who, of course, has a girlfriend) and begins to fall for him, it might just be time for her to take center stage outside the theatre, too.

The Summer of Jordi Perez (and the Best Burger in LA), by Amy Spalding
Lesbian romantic comedies are way too few and far between, and if you’ve been craving one with the desperation you usually reserve for a burger and fries, let me introduce you to a new fave that’ll give you everything in one, with great fat rep on top of it all. Seventeen-year-old plus-size fashion blogger Abby is jazzed for her summer; interning at her favorite boutique is the perfect kickstart to her fashion career. But she’s not the only intern there, and the fashion isn’t all that’s attracting Abby. The problem with falling for Jordi? They’re in competition with each other, as only one can win a paid job at the end of the summer. Okay, and there’s maybe a little more drama than that, but with no queerness-based angst, this is an f/f beach read that’ll leave anyone blissed out.

Let’s Talk About Love, by Claire Kann
Debut Kann nailed the balance of angst, questioning, confidence, and sheer joy in this college-set romance starring a biromantic asexual girl who’s done with romance after her girlfriend breaks her heart due to her disinterest in sex. But while she’s happy to notice that cute people are still everywhere, she’s not happy to find herself falling for one. Takumi is sweet, fun, caring, thoughtful, and a great friend, which is something Alice desperately needs as things get a little weird with her two besties, who are now married. If she tells Takumi both that she has feelings for him and that she’s ace, she risks things between them meeting the same end as her last relationship. But what if it turns into something great instead?

The Art of French Kissing, by Brianna Shrum
There’s nothing like a delicious romance to sweeten up the reading experience, and if those macarons on the cover don’t lure you in, then let the concept of enemies-to-lovers at a competitive cooking school do it. Carter Reid’s dream of becoming a chef is one step closer to coming true when she gets accepted to a scholarship competition in Savannah, but she’s not the only one who’ll do anything to win. Reid Yamada just can’t seem to stop getting in her way, and he’s as frustratingly talented as he is frustratingly hot. But when they’re forced to work together, can they put their knives to better use than stabbing each other in the back? And also maybe do something about the fact that the only thing stronger than their shared ambition is their mutual attraction?

Undead Girl Gang, by Lily Anderson
A book doesn’t have to be romance-heavy to be read by the waves (though if it is romance you’re craving, grab Anderson’s Not Now, Not Ever instead); this paranormal mean girl zombie mystery tale of an unlikely friendship, betrayal, revenge, and okay, yes, a little romance too, all helmed by a fabulously voiced fat Latina Wiccan teen girl is the perfect way to kick back. Mila Flores is content to be an outcast because she’s never truly alone; that’s what her best friend, Riley, is for. Then Riley’s found dead, along with two of their high school’s mean girls, and not only is Mila distraught, she’s determined to find answers. She goes a little too far in her quest when she successfully brings the girls back to life to help her figure out how they died. But because of the way the spell works, she only has one week to do it before the girls are gone for good, along with any chance at finding their killer. It may sound a little dark to make for a relaxing read, but between the hilarious characters, the quirky plot, and the feminist friendship-centric plot, trust me when I say there’s no wrong place to enjoy this one.

The Summer of Us, by Cecilia Vinesse
What could be a more perfect way to spend the last summer before college than on a European road trip with your best friends? Well, if you’re Aubrey, it’d help if you didn’t have a secret romantic history with one of those friends, especially if he’s your boyfriend’s ex. And for Rae, it’d sure be great if she didn’t have an impossible crush on Clara that’s only getting worse by the day. And for both girls, who are the closest of friends, maybe clashing over their separate futures isn’t the most desirable outcome. But one thing’s for sure, and that’s that this trip is gonna come with a whole lot of growing, changing, and necessarily brutal honesty. Oh, and kissing. There will definitely be kissing.

Sometime After Midnight, by L. Philips
The Cinderella story gets delightfully twisted in this charming romance between teen boys who meet at a club while watching a favorite indie band play. It’s sparks at first meeting for Nate and Cameron, but when Nate learns Cameron’s father is the very same record exec who drove his own dad to suicide, he runs off without so much as an explanation. All Cameron has to go on is a picture he took of Nate’s artfully sketched-on Chucks, something his social media star sister uses to track Nate down. But finding the owner of the glass slipper is only the first phase of happily ever after as the guys are forced to deal with the issues that tore them apart in the first place.

Your Destination is on the Left, by Lauren Spieller
Getting in a last-minute summer vacation, or wish you were? You’re definitely gonna want to join Dessa and her nomadic family for the never-ending ride that is her life…though she’s finally ready to get off the road for good. When she’s rejected from every single college she applied to, artist Dessa knows something about her life has to change. When she receives an offer of an internship with a local artist in Santa Fe, Dessa wants more than anything in the world to take that leap toward her passion. But when following her dream means leaving those she loves behind—including not just her family but the guy she has always known who has been stealing her heart of late—she has to make a choice between staying on the road less traveled and choosing a more permanent path.

Leah on the Offbeat, by Becky Albertalli
Leah Burke’s no stranger to fans of Albertalli’s smash hit, Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda, but we’re blessed to really get to know the bisexual drummer in this companion novel that follows her through the end of high school, as she tries to figure out college and prom and coming out to her friends and everything that comes next. When Leah sticking up for her friend Abby leads to her friend group crumbling, she feels even more untethered than ever. And it doesn’t help that she’s kind of got a monster crush on Abby, who’s suddenly way friendlier than she’s ever been. What’s a girl to do when she’s on the precipice of change, everything behind her seems to be turning to ash, but the future’s looking more filled with possibilities than ever?