Beach Reads

With all these April showers, it's probably hard to think about going to the beach.  Before you know it, though, you'll wake up, and it will be Memorial Day.  Publishers know this, so they are releasing new titles for you to enjoy as you lounge on the beach.  Many authors who are known for their summer-themed novels have new books coming out in May.  Get the sunscreen, the cooler, and the bathing suits ready so you can relax with these beach reads.  Title descriptions are from the publisher.


Beach Town  by Mary Kay Andrews  (5/19)

Greer Hennessy is a struggling movie location scout. Her last location shoot ended in disaster when a film crew destroyed property on an avocado grove. Now Greer has been given one more chance. She zeroes in on a sleepy Florida panhandle town. Greer slips into town and is ecstatic to find the last unspoilt patch of the Florida gulf coast. However, she finds a formidable obstacle in the town mayor, Eben Thinadeaux. Eben is a born-again environmentalist who's seen huge damage done to the town by a huge paper company ... and Eben has no intention of letting anybody screw with his town again. The only problem is that he finds Greer way too attractive for his own good, and knows that her motivation is in direct conflict with his.

The Summer's End  by Mary Alice Monroe  (5/19)

It is summer’s end and Sea Breeze, the family’s beloved estate on Sullivan’s Island, must be sold. It is an emotional time of transition as Mamaw and the three sisters each must face loss and find a new place in the world.  Harper, the youngest sister, arrived at Sea Breeze intending to stay only a weekend, but a rift with her wealthy, influential mother left her without direction or a home. During this remarkable summer, free from her mother’s tyranny and with the help of her half sisters, Harper discovered her talents and independent spirit.  But summer is ending, and the fate of Sea Breeze hinges on Harper’s courage to decide the course of her own life. To do so she must release her insecurities and recognize her newfound strengths.

The Rocks  by Peter Nichols  (5/26)
Set against dramatic Mediterranean Sea views and lush olive groves, The Rocks opens with a confrontation and a secret: What was the mysterious, catastrophic event that drove two honeymooners apart so suddenly and absolutely in 1948 that they never spoke again despite living on the same island for sixty more years? And how did their history shape the Romeo and Juliet–like romance of their (unrelated) children decades later? Centered around a popular seaside resort club and its community, The Rocks is a double love story that begins with a mystery, then moves backward in time, era by era, to unravel what really happened decades earlier.

The Guest Cottage  by Nancy Thayer  (5/12)

Sophie Anderson has always known what to do. When her husband announces that he’s leaving her for another woman, Sophie realizes she has no idea what’s next. Impulsively renting a guest cottage on Nantucket, Sophie rounds up her kids and leaves Boston for a quiet family vacation, minus one.  Also minus one is Trevor Black, who has recently lost his wife.  Hoping a quiet summer on the Nantucket coast will help him reconnect with his son, Trevor rents a guest house on the beautiful island.  When Sophie and Trevor realize they’ve mistakenly rented the same house, the two agree to share the house. But as the summer unfolds and the families grow close, Sophie and Trevor must ask themselves if the guest cottage is all they want to share.