The Best New Release Beach Reads For Your Summer 2025 TBR

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The scent of sunscreen, the hum of cicadas, and a page-turner in your lap; summer isn't summer without the perfect beach read. The warmer months are upon us, inviting a particular sort of indulgence that includes travel, tan lines, and tales to transport and titillate us over the course of a long afternoon. Whether you're physically boarding a plane, or simply sunning yourself in the garden, this summer's forecast is in: expect romance that doesn't take itself too seriously, with a strong chance of splendid settings and steamy scenes.

Your beach bag may still be littered with paperbacks softened by last year's sea salt spray, but summer 2025 is delivering a sparkling new batch of fiction, as fresh as your first sip of Aperol Spritz. These glamorous getaways and light-hearted imbroglios are perfect for poolside lounging and lazy beach days. So, kick off your sandals, reapply your SPF (because yes, sunscreen layering is the internet hack we can get behind), and prepare to fill your TBR with books guaranteed to make your vacation (or staycation) that much dreamier.

Jill Santopolo's breakout novel, "The Light We Lost," was an early favorite of romance readers. Now, as an author with the imprimatur of Reese's Book Club behind her, it's safe to say expectations are high for her return to Lucy and Gabe's story. The anticipation alone for this book might earn it a spot on this list, but fortunately for us readers, "The Love We Found" delivers.  As one Bookstagrammer so affectionately put it in an Instagram post, "The author's writing was quite lovely."

Ten year's after Gabe's death, Lucy Carter Maxwell discovers a sliver of the past hidden in a box of his old photographs. It's a handwritten address in Rome, which prompts an impulsive trip across the Atlantic (the kind Gabe, ever the passionate idealist, would have encouraged). There, she meets Dr. Dax Armstrong, an American aid worker whose presence begins to stir something in Lucy she considered long buried. 

But even in the Eternal City, the past doesn't stay put. Back home, questions about her son Samuel's parentage, and whether it's time to share the truth, complicate Lucy's search for closure. Santopolo does a good job of putting the "Rome" in "romance." So, if you like your beach reads layered with emotional heft and impossible choices complicated by fate, this sequel will sweep you off your flip-flopped feet. "The Love We Found" is available now on Amazon.

We all know the story of "The Great Gatsby," F. Scott Fitzgerald's glittering tale of obsession, excess, and the rot beneath the gold leaf of the American dream. But in Jane Crowther's 2025 reimagining, the familiar picture of West Egg is illustrated again — with a sharper edge and a shifted gaze. This time, our narrator is Nic Carraway, who doesn't belong among the elite but finds herself renting a suspiciously cheap summer place on Long Island. 

Her neighbor is Jay Gatsby, not a bootlegging war hero, but a magnetic socialite whose name opens doors and whose parties dissolve into flashbulbs and Champagne foam. Gatsby has everything, except the one thing she wants: Nic's cousin, the inconveniently charming Danny Buchanan. As the temperature rises and lies pile up, Nic is drawn deeper into a world of friendships and facades. Crowther refracts the classic Gatsby, casting new light on the original's themes of reinvention and ruin. 

If you think you know how this stylish novel will pan out, don't be so sure. Crowther's 21st-century revival has already caught the eye, and commendation, of critics – and readers on Goodreads are loving it, too. One praised it as "a magnificent debut," whilst another urged, "please do not be put off by this book if you didn't enjoy 'The Great Gatsby.'" With praise like this, it's well worth slipping into your beach bag. "Gatsby" is available now on Amazon.

The reigning queen of romance fiction is back. This time, with "Great Big Beautiful Life" — a high-stakes tangle of truth and desire. Brimming with coastal intrigue, Emily Henry lands us on Little Crescent Island with two writers, one reclusive legend, and more than a few secrets between them. Aspiring biographer Alice Scott still believes in big breaks and happy endings. Pulitzer prize-winning Hayden Anderson, on the other hand, does not. 

But both writers find themselves on Little Crescent Island, summoned by Margaret Ives — once the face of golden-era tabloid dynasty, now an elusive octogenarian who may or may not be ready to tell her story at last. Margaret offers them a deal: one month on the island, each receiving carefully chosen scraps of her life. What are they not allowed to do? Share. What can't they seem to stop doing? Wanting to. 

With wit, a slow-burning tension, and Henry's trademark emotional acuity, this is a glittering and layered effort that might be her most ambitious novel yet. Henry's proven track record of delivering unforgettable beach reads is reason enough to get excited about her latest. But don't just take our word for it: Readers have already given it a gleaming 4.26-star rating on Goodreads. "Great Big Beautiful Life" is available for preorder on Amazon and will release on April 22, 2025. And if this synopsis has you surfing for more, we've also ranked her iconic rom-com books to help you deepen your perfect seaside TBR.

What if your one great love story only lasted three days, and never got a proper ending? Herein lies the plot of Paige Toon's all new "What If I Never Get Over You." Ellie is 21 and travelling solo through Europe when she meets Ash in Lisbon. Their connection is instant, and the sort that makes you believe in fate. They make plans to reunite in Madrid. But Ellie turns up late, and Ash has vanished. 

Six years pass, but Ellie can't quite shake the memory of what they shared, or what might have been. When she takes a job tending gardens on a sprawling estate in rural Wales, it's a chance at a fresh start. Until Ash turns up again, carrying a truth that threatens to undo everything. Love can haunt us, but we as people can grow. Toon's talent has always been in writing emotional realism without sentimentality. 

The result here is a read as romantically restorative as a summer afternoon. With its wanderlust-worthy premise and vacation-ready backdrop, this novel was already radiating big beach energy. But StoryGraph connoisseurs of the genre have gone a step further. They're applauding its strong character development and loveable characters, confirming its status as a standout for your summer stack. "What If I Never Get Over You" is available for preorder on Amazon and will release on April 15, 2025.

Katie Vaughn can't swim, but she's about to dive headfirst into a whirlwind of lies, rescue missions, and wildly inconvenient feelings. Her job as a video producer is hanging by a thread when a last-ditch opportunity surfaces to profile a Coast Guard hero in Key West. It's a make-or-break project that could revive her career. But said hero is Tom "Hutch" Hutcheson, a frustratingly handsome rescue swimmer who also happens to be the estranged brother of Katie's colleague, Cole.

It would all be going swimmingly, if Katie hadn't, well, lied to Hutch about knowing how to swim. As the waves rise (both literally and emotionally), Katie finds herself navigating more than just choppy waters. It's a will-they-won't-they plot that will keep you turning the pages. Alongside the eccentric aunt with a secret or two and a Great Dane with excellent timing, Katherine Center offers a spark that chucks you right into the deep end.

Center has already proven herself a New York Times bestselling author with hits like "The Romcommers" and "The Bodyguard," so beach readers know they're in good hands. This latest release has been flying off the shelves thanks to overwhelming demand (the preorder hardback is already sold out on Amazon UK) and it's earned a solid 4-star rating on Goodreads. "The Love Haters" is available for preorder on Amazon in the U.S. and will release on May 20, 2025.

All published in 2025, these novels are exactly the kind of stories we'd reach for when the days are long and the sun's finally doing its job. A beach read, by our definition, is one that is transportive, breezy, romantic, and emotionally satisfying — all of which is covered by our selection here. We've specifically chosen titles that lean into classic romantic tropes, as per the genre: second chances (and here are five more of our favorite romance books about this), missed connections, slow-burn attraction, and enemies who really just need a vacation together. That being said, we picked these particular books because we believe their premises bring something new to the beach read canon. 

What's more, many of the authors here have already established themselves as leading voices of the form, building our trust in this list. Their commercial and critical acclaim, both in the press and on review sites like Goodreads (where all books score a 3.85 or above at the time of writing), only reinforces why these books belong in this curation. Above all in our criteria, we believe the Women readership enjoys plots that are fresh and characters that are developed, and, as you settle in with your towel, you'll find yourself whisked away to some of the most enviable summer settings fiction has to offer. If you've devoured this list and are hungry for more, here are the best summer 2025 beach reads from Reese's Book Club and Jenna's Book Club.