The Best Beach Reads

There’s nothing better than getting lost in a good book, especially when you’re getting lost in a book while your toes are in the sand! While we already have a list of strictly OBX-themed books, we also asked our followers on Instagram what their favorite beach reads are. We’ve compiled that list right here for you to use as your personal TBR (to be read) list! We’re big on supporting small businesses so not only did we link where you can get the Kindle version of these novels, but we’ve linked where you can buy them from local OBX bookstores as well! Keep reading to find your

Every Summer After

By Carley Fortune

Age Range: Adult

Told over the course of six years and one weekend, Every Summer After is a nostalgic story of love and the people and choices that mark us forever.

An Island Summer

By Jenny Hale

Age Range: Adult

Set on the Outer Banks, “An Island Summer” by Jenny Hale is a heartwarming romance novel that explores themes of love, family, and second chances against the backdrop of Hatteras Island. With twists, turns, romance, and mystery; An Island Summer is a beach read that’s bound to keep you enthralled.

The Wish

By Nicholas Sparks

Age Range: Adult

Set in Ocracoke, The Wish by Nicholas Sparks is a heartwarming tale of hope, love, and second chances. The story follows the lives of two characters, Maggie and Bryce, who find themselves drawn together by unexpected circumstances. This novel explores themes of resilience, healing, and the enduring power of love to bring light into even the darkest of times.

Happy Place

By Emily Henry

Age Range: Adult

When Harriet and Wyn show up to their annual friend’s getaway in Maine, they only have one problem…they haven’t told anyone that they broke up 5 months ago and haven’t spoken since. With the cottage they’ve been going to for years up for sale, friendships changing, and Wyn and Harriet having to fake their way through the weekend, a bit of chaos ensues, making Happy Place the perfect page-turner beach read.

Book Lovers

By Emily Henry

Age Range: Adult

Set in fictional Sunshine Falls, North Carolina, Book Lovers follows the journey of Nora Stephens and her sister Libby. This heartfelt, comedic novel is a story about books, sisters, and being the author of your own love story.

Where The Crawdads Sing

By Delia Owens

Age Range: Adult

Another North Carolina-based novel is “Where the Crawdads Sing” by Delia Owens. Set in the marshlands of North Carolina (think East Lake), the story revolves around Kya Clark. Known as the “Marsh Girl,” Kya grows up isolated from society in the wild after being abandoned by her family. This story alternates between Kya’s coming-of-age journey intertwined with the investigation of a local murder case.

The Summer of Broken Rules

By K.L. Walther

Age Range: Young Adult

The Summer of Broken Rules by K.L. Walther is a young adult novel that follows the story of Meredith Fox. After losing her sister 18 months ago, she shut everyone out; but she’s determined to join the world again during her summer in Martha’s Vineyard. This beach read touches on grief, romance, and some hidden secrets that all make this book a serious page-turner.

It Ends With Us

By Colleen Hoover

Age Range: Adult (TW for domestic violence)

Lily Bloom, a young woman who has overcome a challenging childhood to build a successful life for herself in Boston is the main character of It Ends With Us. This deeply emotional and thought-provoking novel explores the power of resilience and the importance of standing up for oneself, even in the face of adversity.

The Summer House

By Jenny Hale

Age Range: Adult

Based on the Outer Banks, the Summer House is a feel-good novel that you won’t be able to put down. Callie Weaver and her friend Olivia Dixon have finally put enough money into the beach house on the Outer Banks that they’ve admired since they were kids. While working to restore the home and turn it into a bed and breakfast, Callie and Olivia find a diary full of secrets that change the course of their summer forever.

Malibu Rising

By Taylor Jenkins Reid

Age Range: Adult

Set in Malibu, California, during the 1980s, Malibu Rising revolves around the Riva family. Each year, they host an epic party at their beachfront mansion that attracts celebrities and locals alike. Against the backdrop of one such party, the novel delves into the secrets, struggles, and relationships of the Riva family. As the night unfolds, the novel moves between the past and the present, revealing the family’s tumultuous history and the events that shaped their lives.