What Summer Books Are You Reading?

I’m coming to you with something a little different from my Race Matters column: summer reading recommendations! I’ve been a book editor for more than 20 years; and reading is not just my career, it’s my passion. This summer is packed with stellar books, which is great for readers but also presents a challenge: how to know what to pick up. If you need some book ideas for your beach bag, porch hang, or road trip, I’ve narrowed down a list of eight that has something for everyone…

It’s A Love Story by Annabel Monaghan. If you’re already a fan of Annabel’s books (Same Time Next Year, Nora Goes Off Script, Summer Romance), then you know she creates the most endearing, relatable characters that you can’t help rooting for. Her newest heroine, Jane Jackson, is a former child star trying to outlive her past as a “wacky” sitcom character. She has her sights set on making a feature film from a rom-com script she’s fallen hard for. To entice her boss to greenlight the project, she promises that her old friend, mega pop star Jack Quinlan, will write an original song for the movie. The problem? Jack isn’t really a friend, more like someone who broke Jane’s heart years before. To track Jack down, she’ll need the help of the last person she wants to turn to, her co-worker Dan. He just may help with the broken heart thing, too. This novel goes down like a glass of cold lemonade on a hot day — easy, effervescent, entirely satisfying.

King of Ashes by S.A. Cosby. If you’re into audio books, I highly recommend listening to this novel – the narrator Adam Lazarre-White has such a smooth baritone, I’d listen to him read a toaster manual. King of Ashes doesn’t scream light beach read (there’s a gritty edge to Cosby’s work, plus a few dead bodies) but you’ll never read stories about gangsters, crime, and danger with richer characters and a stronger emotional core. A stand-out feature of Cosby’s work is his settings — evocative Southern backwaters where the language is colorful, the humidity thick, and the insects loud. Roman, our hero, returns home to rural Virginia to reckon with some high-stakes drama — a father in the hospital who is unable to run the family’s crematorium, a sister haunted by their mother’s mysterious disappearance, and a brother tangled in the local criminal underworld. The plot races along, but beyond the heart-pounding twists, the novel is a powerful reminder of how much we will risk to protect those we love.

Atmosphere by Taylor Jenkins Reid. I’m beyond blown away by Taylor’s range — she’s written over a dozen novels that explore different worlds, from competitive tennis to Old Hollywood. All of which has made her a “publishing powerhouse,” as Time magazine said in a recent profile. Now she’s taking readers to… space. Set in the 1980s, this novel follows two women in NASA’s second class of female astronauts who must navigate the competitive, sexist and exhilarating world of space travel as true pioneers in many senses. Hidden romance, new frontiers, and pulse-pounding adventure? Check. Check. Check. Think: Top Gun, Hidden Figures and For All Mankind vibes. One of my favorite reads of 2025.

The Names by Florence Knapp. Random fact about me: my parents planned to name me Stephanie during my mother’s entire pregnancy; then when I was born they made a last minute switch to Christine. Sometimes I wonder, would my life have unfolded differently if I had been “Stephanie”? That’s the premise of this novel. The Names comprises three different narratives – Sliding Doors style – that follow the life path of Cora’s son, if he were given three different names. Names are only part of the legacy we give our children, and Cora reckons with all she’s passing to her son – the resilience and the trauma.

Grand Paloma Resort by Cleyvis Natera. There was bound to be a White Lotus comparison in this list, and this is it! This novel explores class and tourism at a high-end resort in the Dominican Republic, and the page-turning plot hits the spot. I adore a story about sisters, and here, dutiful older sister, Laura, realizes her wayward sister, Elena, is in deep trouble, the sort of trouble that could cost Laura her dream promotion and the escape the orphaned sisters have dreamed of. The explorations of family, wealth and striving are as rich as the people at this five-star resort. Coming, August 12th.

Everyone Is Lying To You by Jo Piazza. You’d have to be living under a rock to not have heard about the tradwife phenomenon. Journalist Jo Piazza (who also happens to be my writing partner) now brings us the quintessential tradwife novel. It’s a thrilling, fast-paced mystery — come for the plot twists, stay for the commentary about social media. The novel expertly captures all the feelings we have as we scroll through our feeds at 3 a.m. Coming July 15th.

What Kind of Paradise by Janelle Brown could be the older cousin of Jo’s book. For all our love/hate of social media, this story takes us back to the eve of the internet in Silicon Valley. Our protagonist, Jane, grows up in a rural Montana cabin with her devoted but maniacal father, who’s prone to diatribes about the ills of civilization. Jane becomes disillusioned with her father’s world view, with a nagging sense that something is amiss with him and what he’s told her about their past. Eventually, she builds up to make a breathtaking escape, though not before being ensnared in an incident that will have life-long consequences. Her path takes her to San Francisco in the 1990s on the eve of the dotcom boom when the internet promised to be a great utopia. As soon as I finished the book, I wrote Janelle a gushing personal note. I was completely smitten with the voice and couldn’t put this one down.

And, of course, I have to include my own. All The Men I’ve Loved Again, my solo debut, came out last week and is highly beach-friendly. It’s a story about a woman, Cora, who falls in love with two men in her twenties, and the same two men again as she’s about to turn 40. A wild premise ripped from my own life. It’s a fun, heartfelt, steamy coming-of-age story, heavy on nostalgia and a ‘90s music playlist. I’ll mail a signed book plate to any Cup of Jo reader who asks for one.

What books are at the top of your list this summer? Authors also love it when readers come to events. So, check out the tour info for these novels, put on a cute summer dress, and go make a friend.

P.S. Five sexy books we love, three favorite books of all time, and what’s the most beautiful thing you’ve ever read?

(Photo by Dana Saparova/Stocksy.)