It’s vacation time! If you’re like me, you are planning on reading a book or two…or perhaps three. Whether your ideal vacation is a road trip, flying to an exotic or adventure-filled location, or just some rest and relaxation by the pool, a vacation is always better with the company of a few fictional characters (no offense to my family, they’re great). So, if you’re looking for a few book recommendations to take with you on your next holiday, look no further, I’ve got you covered! Here are a few novels that really stood out to me this year. Happy reading! Oh, and if you have any book recommendations for me, I would love to hear them!

I’ve also included my own vacation reading list at the bottom.

Summer Reading Recommendations!

"Click" on the book title to read my review.

Not in order of preference...I loved them all!

1- If He Had Been with Me – By Laura Nowlin
If you are looking for a book with those “old school” vibes, this one has it. I was worried at first that this YA book would be too “Y” for me, but I ended up really enjoying it. I was completely sold on the storyline, the friendship, the young love, the angst of those teenage years, and I was brought back to those achingly difficult years of growing up.

2 – Before Us – By Jewel E. Ann
This is for all of the readers who love a good dose of angst in their romances. I love angst. I never want to read an easy love story, and Before Us delivered!

3 – Adelaide – By Genevieve Wheeler
This book made me feel so much! I was intrigued right from the synopsis, but this novel ended up being so much more than I had originally expected. I devoured the words, felt the sting and the heartache, and I was on Team Adelaide right from the start.

4 – The Next Girl – By Pip Drysdale
I love a good thriller, and Pip Drysdale knows how to write them. If you like sitting on pins and needles (metaphorically, of course), and enjoy the feel of your heart pounding ferociously in your chest, then this is the book for you!

5 – Daisy Jones & The Six – By Taylor Jenkins Reid
I say this all the time, but I really don’t know why it took me so long to read/listen to this novel. Written as an oral history and in interview format, I swear that this often felt like non-fiction. Taylor Jenkins Reid is a master of creating characters and she blew me away with this story. It’s a music lovers ideal reading experience. Rock on!

6 – The Girls of Summer – By Katie Bishop
This book was so much more that just a literary romp to the Greek islands. If you’re looking for a fast-paced, relevant, intense novel, The Girls of Summer is your next read.

7 – Hello Stranger – By Katherine Center
Katherine Center always seems to make it onto my recommended reading lists. She never fails to deliver a well-rounded romantic novel that makes you feel a gamut of emotions. I’m always torn between wanting to lock myself away from real life to binge-read her books and savoring every word. This book is sure to please. Trust me!

8 – Forget Me Not – By Julie Soto
I want to read every book that Julie Soto is going to write. In my opinion, Forget Me Not was a perfect summer romance read. Okay, also the perfect fall, winter, and spring read. My point is, just read this book. It had great banter, plenty of humor (I actually laughed out loud), sizzling chemistry, and just an overall wonderful story.

My Summer Vacation Reading List!

I may be taking a breather for some rest and relaxation, but I’m definitely not taking a break from reading. I always make a tentative list of the books that I’m considering reading over my holiday, but that doesn’t mean that it’s written in stone. As a mood reader, I reserve the right to change my mind (or book) at any given time. May the vacation reading begin!

- The Last One – By Will Dean

- The One that Got Away – By Charlotte Rixon

- Skip to the End – By Molly James

- Tilly in Technicolor – By Mazey Eddings