The ultimate beach reading list for 2026


A couple walks hand in hand on a sandy beach. The woman is in a black sweater with a red design, holding sandals. This guy wears a navy vest and jeans. The sky is clear and the sea is visible on the right.

Every year, I head to Cape Cod, and I’m packing and getting ready.

And every year, I share a new list of beach reads that are perfect for long, lazy afternoons at the beach.

There’s something about relaxing with a really good book.

you You can see the list I shared last year here.

But this year, I have a whole new list.

New writers.

New titles.

New books I haven’t shared before.

Including the best book I just finished yesterday, it’s the sweetest romance.

I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I do.

Here is the ultimate beach reading list of 2026.

A couple walks barefoot holding hands on the beach at sunset with colorful clouds, gentle waves and a house on the shore. The text reads, “The Summer I Found You: A Novel” by Jennifer O'Brien.

// The Summer I Found You//

1. The Summer I Found You

I wanted to start with a friend’s first novel. I have known her for years and she is an amazing home decor blogger with amazing style. She poured her heart into the novel and spent several months in a secluded spot on Long Island to get into the hearts and minds of the characters.

Dahlia escapes her terrible marriage and begins to rebuild her heart on the North Fork of Long Island.

Enter Noah, who is super handy and helps her renovate (and also happens to be super cute).

There is a mystery that spans three generations, and the book is very well written.

Jane, you are amazing.

you You can watch The Summer I Found You here.

A man and a woman walk hand in hand on a wooden dock by the water toward a large white house surrounded by trees. Title of the book "Summer state of mind" and the author "Christy Woodson Harvey" mentioned above.

// Summer state of mind //

2. Summer state of mind

I’ve also been friends with Christy for years and she just sent me her new summer book.

He does not disappoint.

Mason, a high school baseball coach, finds an abandoned baby, and together with Daisy, a NICU nurse who is burned out and trying to rebuild her life, they work to save the baby.

And then? Something happens that sends shockwaves through the community.

you can Check out Summer State of Mind here.

Book cover for "Hello, Summer" By Mary Kay Andrews, showing sandals on a sandy beach, two shorebirds and "Hello, Summer" Written in sand with waves and turquoise sea in the background.

// Hello Summer //

3. Hello Summer

I mentioned earlier that I met Mary Kay and stayed at one of her beach houses in Tybee Island.

you Can travel here.

I love her writing, and this story combines romance and mystery.

It is about a famous reporter who returns to his hometown to take over a local gossip column.

There’s a lot of drama for a small town and it’s a fun (and easy) read.

you Watch Hello Summer here.

Illustrated book cover for "The Man I Never Met" Depicts a man and a woman on a separate staircase holding a suitcase, with the title in large white text on a blue background, by Elle Cook.

// The Man I Never Met //

4. The Man I Never Met

I just finished this book last night and I absolutely loved it.

10 out of 10 stars.

It’s about a girl named Hannah in London who calls the wrong number of a guy named Davey in America. A long-distance romance develops and Davey plans to start his job in London and then? Something happens that takes away the romance and they don’t meet.

And then? A second chance meeting makes for a sweet ending.

you can See the man I never met here.

Book cover for "The Spectacular: A Novel" By Fiona Davies, featuring a woman in vintage clothes and hat against a backdrop of colorful city lights, with a credit to author Kate Quinn at the top.

// Spectacular //

5. Spectacular

I love any book by Fiona Davis. She is an amazing writer.

The book is about nineteen-year-old Marion who has her whole life planned out and then gets the chance to try out for the Radio City Rockets.

She encounters Peter, a young doctor in town, and together they try to solve a mystery.

you You can watch Spectacular here.

cover of "The Five-Star Weekend" By Elin Hilderbrand, showing three women happily splashing champagne on a beach, with the ocean and blue sky in the background. The title and author name are displayed prominently.

// The Five-Star Weekend //

6. Five-star weekend

I’ve shared this book before, but I wanted to share it again because I saw there was a movie coming out starring Jennifer Garner.

you You can watch the movie here.

Maybe I like it so much because it’s about a food blogger named Hollis.

She is recovering from a tragedy and invites five of her closest friends from different eras of her life to her home in Nantucket for the weekend.

I loved it because the descriptions of Nantucket are so good and there is a wonderful twist at the end.

you Check out the five-star weekend here.

cover of "Read the beach" By Emily Henry. Two women are lying on beach towels - one on a blue towel, reading a book, and the other on a red towel, wearing a sunhat with an open book beside her. Yellow background, bold white title text.

// Read the beach //

7. Read the beach

This is the ultimate beach read about polar opposites.

It’s the story of two writers who decide to step out of their lane and write something outside of their genre.

And something surprising happens along the way.

you Read here can see the beach.

Book cover for "Mrs. Endicott's Grand Adventure" By Rhys Bowen, depicts a seaside villa with colorful flowers, a balcony, trees and a blue sea under a clear sky.

// Mrs. Endicott’s Grand Adventure //

8. Mrs. Endicott’s Grand Adventure

The book begins with Mrs. Endicott’s husband asking her for a divorce.

He leaves his home and goes to France during the Nazi occupation.

This is a beautiful book about discovering who you really are and you will fall in love with the characters and personalities in this book.

you Mrs. Endicott’s Grand Adventure can be found here.

A woman stands on a boxcar, holding books and looking out over a wide, grassy field with mountains in the distance. There are piles of books on the boxcar floor. The title of the book reads "Boxcar Librarian" By Brianna Labuskes.

// Boxcar Librarian //

9. Boxcar Librarian

This book was a surprise to me.

This month is our book club book and I couldn’t be more excited about it.

But it is very good.

There are three stories of different women taking place at different times after the Great Depression. It’s about a train car that was converted into a library and the mystery of what happened to a woman in it.

I love a good historical fiction mystery.

you Check out the Boxcar Librarian here.

Cover of the novel "A golden summer" By Carly Fortune, shows two people in a small yellow boat on blue water at sunset, with handwritten-style yellow and white text.

// A golden summer //

10. A Golden Summer

I think this is the perfect summer read.

It’s about a photographer named Alice who lives behind the lens. He spends his life looking at other people and observing them in order to photograph them.

But she’s never really met anyone who really sees her.

until.

Until he meets Charlie.

you Watch One Golden Summer here.

A couple stands together on a sandy beach with scattered rocks and gentle waves. The sky is clear and the coast is visible in the background. They are smiling and dressed casually for the cold weather.

So what do we think?

Have you read any of these?

Agree with the list? Disagree with the list?

Want to add a book to the list?

My ears are wide.

I’d love to hear what you think. 🙂

The grid of the book

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