Ready to get lost in a good book this summer? Savvy Sassy Moms has the ultimate TBR list full of books from every genre.
Summer is so close I can almost taste it. I’m ready for days with no alarm clock and late breakfasts of fresh fruit and juice with kids. I can’t wait to sit by the pool (with or without a drink in my hand!) and hope to make it to a beach, any beach, this summer. Even if I’m not feeling particularly swimsuit ready, I am feeling ready for sunshine and tan lines.
And nothing says summertime to my adult-self more than a book by a body of water. There is something so fun and indulgent about diving head first into a great book that really makes you feel relaxed and carefree. Whether you like chick lit books with a little PDA action or thrillers with mystery and suspense or historical fiction with exciting and sometimes heartbreaking twists, summer reading is all about discovering a world different from your own.
Summer 2023 has some great books that should absolutely be tossed in your beach bag (mine is a Bogg Bag, every summer, all summer!), and enjoyed indulgently while you relax and soak up the summer sun. Here are nine great novels for every reader that will make Summer 2023 effortlessly enjoyable.
Best beach reads for 2023
Steamy chick lit
Happy Place by Emily Henry- Meet Harriet and Wyn, a couple who has decided to consciously uncouple but must endure a week-long vacation with friends while pretending to still be happily in love. Will they or won’t they end up living happily ever after? Go to your Happy Place and crack open this fun rom com to find out!
Love, Theoretically by Ali Hazelwood- Ali Hazelwood’s books are tributes to amazing women breaking glass ceilings in STEM fields. The Love Hypothesis by Ali Hazelwood was one of my favorite reads of 2022, and it had me texting my husband’s cousin going “Holy cow I wasn’t ready for that sex scene but now I want more!” She responded “why else do middle-aged women read romance novels”? The author’s next book, due out in June, is the spicy summer book you’ll want to clear your calendar for. Love, Theoretically, is in the air!
The True Love Experiment by Christina Lauren- This author team is back with another charming tale featuring the main character from their fan-favorite The Soulmate Equation. What happens when a romance novelist wakes up one day and realizes that she’s never actually been in love? This book sets out to answer that question by conducting a True Love Experiment.
Pulse-racing thrillers
The Only One Left by Riley Sager- Lizzie Borden took an axe and gave her father 40 whacks. And when she saw what she had done, she gave her mother 41. How many of you grew up chanting this gruesome rhyme on the playground? Mystery writer Riley Sager has imagined a Lizzie Borden-esque alleged murderess with her own gruesome rhyme. When a young caregiver arrives to tend to an aging Leonora, the alleged murderess, she must help solve the murder who actually killed whom and who is The Only One Left.
The Senator’s Wife by Liv Constantine- As I prepare to take a group of Girl Scouts to Washington DC this summer, I’m reading up on everything I can about the area. I can’t wait to pause to check out this novel, which follows The Senator’s Wife as she tries to navigate the world of politics and all the dirty little secrets that come along with that glossy, polished lifestyle.
The Chateau by Jaclyn Goldis- Dreaming of a girls’ trip to France? This novel may have you thinking again! Four friends embark on an adventure to The Chateau for an idyllic vacation brimming with wine tastings, fancy dinners, shopping and more, only to find the palace’s owner murdered after a lavish party one evening. How did she die? And what secrets is the chateau hiding?
Thought-provoking historical fiction
The Paris Deception by Bryn Turnbull- Art heists and forgeries and Nazis, oh my! Set during World War II, this book follows two friends as they set out to trick the Nazis by presenting them with forgeries of famous art and jewelry so they can’t seize the original. But how long can two young women really keep up The Paris Deception? You’ll have to snag this book when it comes out May 30th to find out!
The Spectacular by Fiona Davis- If you ever wanted to audition to be a Radio City Rockette, this book’s for you! This book, set in the 1950s, follows Marion, who is set to be married and be a suburban housewife when she takes a chance and auditions for the Rockettes. New York City is being bombed by an unknown assailant during Marion’s time in the city, and she gets pulled into the search for the bomber. She has to figure out where she belongs- in the suburbs or The Spectacular Big Apple.
The House is On Fire by Rachel Beanland- Admittedly I didn’t love this author’s first book, Florence Adler Swims Forever, but I’m willing to take a chance on her sophomore novel. Based on a little known true event in 1811, The House is On Fire sets the stage for a spectacular fire at a theater packed with guests on Christmas Eve and the split-second decisions they must make that will forever change their lives when the place goes up in flames and the House is on Fire. Told from four different perspectives, this novel will have you thinking about the choices you make and the ripples, and sometimes waves, they create.