About mid-March I go from watching tv to reading… because I live in Southeastern NC and that is when the weather is gorgeous to sit outside and read, especially in the evenings! If you read my blog post on Feel-Good TV Shows, then you’ll see that theme continue into this summer’s reading. This list is full of novels about women who persevere and re-invent themselves – in a wholesome, light reading kind of way. All of these books have a romantic storyline, but that is not necessarily the main focus… although I may throw one or two in that were more focused on romance (like The Roommaid) – because that was hilarious.
Scroll to the bottom to see how I find new titles & authors.
Serial Books
I might have made that word up, but these novels are not the usual type of fiction series that I’ve read in the past. They are more like mini series that are broken up into several books. My suspicion is that would make it easier to turn them into TV series, but what do I know? I just like to sit outside and read when the weather is gorgeous!
Either way, I am hooked on this serial style.
1. Hope Holloway: Coconut Key Series – 6 books (published between Feb – July 2021)
A series of novels about second chances at life and in love, all set on the sun-drenched shores of the Keys! With a cast of unforgettable characters and stories that touch every woman’s heart, these delightful novels will make you laugh out loud, wipe a happy tear, fall in love again…and then you’ll want to read the next one!
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2. Jan Moran: Summer Beach – 6 books (published between July 2019 – Feb 2022)
With spellbinding intrigue and poignant self-discovery, Seabreeze Inn is a sweet summer beach read. If you like sun-soaked beach sagas you can lose yourself in, Seabreeze Inn and Summer Beach’s fascinating characters are for you. Start your vacation in Summer Beach now with Seabreeze Inn and the Summer Beach series. After that, the Summer Beach fun continues with the new Coral Cottage. Find out why readers say, “Life is better in Summer Beach.”
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3. Jan Moran: Coral Cottage – 3 books (published between July 2020 – Nov 2021)
Jan Moran offers fun history tidbits and lots of recipes in her books that I find enjoyable!
4. Maggie Miller: Blackbird Beach – 8 books (published between Jan 2021 – Nov 2021)
The Blackbird Beach series is the lightest reading on this list, but I do enjoy how it keeps going from book to book. The reviewers on Amazon didn’t like that, but it’s fun to me!
Stand Alone Novels
1. Mary Kay Andrews: The Newcomer
Every book I’ve ever read by Mary Kay Andrews has been outstanding… my favorite is truly a tie between Hello, Summer and Sunset Beach. The mystery and investigations of those books truly tap into her journalist background.
2. Sariah Wilson: The Room-Maid
This book was hysterical and also was definitely a romance. But the reviews promised humor and I have to admit, I was pretty curious.
I’m glad I read it, and I went on to read more books by Sariah Wilson. The main character is a privileged college grad who is cut off from her trust fund, and in order to live on her teacher’s salary she moves in to an apartment rent free in exchange for cleaning and pet sitting. It’s totally worth the read to see how that goes for a 22 year old that grew up with household staff! Super light and funny.
3. Susan Mallery: The Vineyard at Painted Moon
I learned so much about wine making! And I guess Amazon thought I should learn more about vineyards because it sent me right into Judith Keim’s Chandler Hill Inn series. Which is probably how it sent me into the serial books about inns!
4. Susan Mallery: The Stepsisters
#1 New York Times bestselling author Susan Mallery pens a love story of a different sort…a heartfelt tale of friendship between two women who used to be sisters. -Amazon
Books in a Series
1. Judith Keim: Chandler Hill Inn (3 books)
Wine making isn’t at the forefront of this series like it was in The Vineyard at Painted Moon, but it’s definitely about running an inn on a vineyard! I had actually read the first book a couple years ago, but I read the second and third in the series this spring. It was a fun book to follow Susan Mallery’s novel.
How do I find new authors and titles?
I’ve always been an avid reader, and this is probably the question I’m asked most often. It’s usually a mix of recommendations from my mom or sister-in-law, and the Amazon Kindle Store. Since I’m a member of Kindle Unlimited, there are way more books I’m willing to try because you don’t have to pay for each title (it’s a monthly fee).
Summer of 2021’s reading list stems from a recommendation on the kindle unlimited page, and I’m so thrilled it was there! It all started with Hope Holloway’s Coconut Key series, and I was hooked.
**Some descriptions are straight from Amazon. Not all books listed are in the Kindle Unlimited program.
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