If you are in need of a new book to read on your summer vacation, here are some great beach read recommendations:

12 Best Beach Reads

1. Just For the Summer

This is a really fun beach read though it got a bit more deep than I anticipated. LOL Justin posted on a Reddit thread how every girl that he dates breaks up with him and then finds her soul mate right after. He is convinced that it’s a curse and doesn’t know how to break it. Emma reads the thread and realizes that she faces the same issue. So Emma DM’s Justin on a whim to laugh about the fact that she has the “curse” too. They begin talking and both decide to try and break the curse with each other. It’s a light hearted fun read that does get deep at times but overall I really enjoyed it.

2. The Secret Love Letters of Olivia Moretti

I am more of a fan of mysteries and thrillers, but I do love a feel good book from time to time. Priscilla, Devon and Bailey are sisters mourning the recent loss of their mother. And while settling her estate, they discover that she had a home on the Amalfi Coast that they never knew about. Along with the ownership papers, the sisters find a love letter from a complete stranger that seemed to have a relationship with their mother years ago. Though the 3 sisters have grown apart, they decide to travel to Italy to settle their mother’s estate and get answers about her past. They discover things about their mother that they never knew and a romance that shaped the course of their mother’s life. A tad emotional from time to time, but it’s a cozy read that gives you a nice boost of serotonin.  

3. Remarkably Bright Creatures

ALL THE WARM FUZZIES! I loved this book and it made me feel all the feelings. Tova is a retired widower who works at the local aquarium helping maintain the exhibits and surrounding areas. One of the exhibits that is especially appealing to her is the octopus who she realizes is sneaking out every night trying to escape. Tova forms an unusual bond with Marcellus, the Octopus. And their “friendship” brings so much unexpected joy and love into Tova’s life.

From the unexplained disappearance of her son many years ago to the loss of her husband, Tova has been through unimaginable trauma. But when a new employee begins at the aquarium, Tova is tasked with training him and showing him the ropes. Tova and the new young man bond over so many things, one of them being their fascination with Marcellus. So many lives are woven together in this book and it’s beautiful to watch them come together. And I fell in love with Marcellus and his beautiful soul.

4. Nora Goes Off Script

One of those feel good cheesy romance books that you need to read every once in a while to make you feel hopeful about the world, amiright?!

Nora is a single mom of two and opening her home up to a Hollywood movie crew to shoot the film adaptation of the book she wrote. She wrote the story of the demise of her marriage and how she found solace in the small tea house at the back of her property that the former home owners built. The book became a bestseller and quickly attracted a film adaptation. And the person playing her ex husband is the uber famous and ultra handsome actor Leo Vance. Once the movie wraps, Nora is happy to get her home back and resume normal life. But Leo Vance is not yet ready to leave. He shows up and asks to stay for the next week to get a break from the public. Nora allows him to stay never thinking anything could happen with this a-list megastar. But of course it does and that’s why we love reading books like this! Ha!

5. Every Summer After

One of those feel good romantic beach reads that you need to read after a slew of terrifying thrillers. That is this book. LOL A palette cleanser of sorts. Persephone’s parents buy a lake house to get away from the hustle and bustle of city life in Toronto. She isn’t thrilled to spend her summers in this sleepy town but meets Sam on her first day there and they become fast friends. Sam is a local and works at his mom’s local restaurant and has dreams of becoming a cardiologist some day. Percy and Sam spend their summers playing, laughing and bonding and feelings begin to develop between the two. But something happens between the two of them that causes their relationship to fall apart. Nearly a decade later, Percy gets a call that Sam’s mother has passed and she comes back to attend the funeral. She wonders if she made the biggest mistake by leaving Sam and longs for the possibility of a reconciliation.

6. Book Lovers

A predictable rom-com type book that is an easy read but won’t be your favorite book of the year. Something easy to read on vacation. Nora lives a fabulous life in NYC as successful literary agent navigating the demanding publishing world and trying to fight for her author clients. When her sister, Libby, suggests they take a vacation together to a small town in North Carolina to get away for some quality sister time, Nora agrees. When she gets there, she feels like she is living in one of her client’s novels – a stereotypical big city gal comes to a small town narrative. While there, Nora runs into an editor who she worked with in NYC though she was never his biggest fan. It’s inevitable that they will have to cross paths in this small town. And Nora needs to figure out how to coexist with this man whom she does not like. The ending is predictable but leaves you feeling good which is always nice.

7. The Soulmate Equation

This was not my favorite Christina Lauren book but I did really enjoy it. All of her books have a similar feel to them and they are comforting to read. Jess and her best friend frequent a coffee shop every day and see the same gorgeous man come in every morning for his coffee. Her best friend initiates a conversation with him one day only to find out his name is Dr. River Pena and runs a DNA-based matchmaking company. He invites both Jess and her friend to come to their corporate headquarters and try the service. When Jess takes the test, she finds out she is nearly perfectly compatible with Dr. Pena himself! The company asks Jess if she will be willing to see if the matchmaking service is accurate and get to know Dr. Pena. She agrees though hesitantly because Dr. Pena is not the most engaging nor warm person. However what develops is surprising to them both and may just indicate that the matchmaking algorithm is correct.

8. The Hotel Nantucket

I enjoy Elin Hildebrand’s books and this one was a light and easy feel good read. A newly renovated Hotel Nantucket hires Lizbet as its general manager. A London billionaire bought the hotel and wanted to turn it into one of the east coast’s most luxurious and well renowned resorts. However, Lizbet must start from scratch in hiring all the staff and with that comes a ton of different personalities and experiences. Hopefully Lizbet and her newly appointed staff can bring the hotel to the level of charm and sophistication it once was years ago. And it is said that a ghost haunts the hotel which could either be a draw or deterrent for guests. It can be a tad confusing at times because the story flip flops between all the characters but eventually I was able to follow along.

9. Summer of ’69

I really enjoy Elin Hilderbrand books and this one was no exception. The story is told from the various perspectives of the Levin family, a wealthy family from Boston living in Nantucket for the summer in 1969. The struggles, family secrets and massive change that the country was going through really shaped their lives and who they were becoming. 4 siblings all at different stages of their life are grappling with personal issues. And trying to figure out how to navigate their life apart from their wealthy upbringing.

10. Funny Story

A light hearted easy read that was really enjoyable. Daphne and her fiance Peter moved back to Peter’s home town to get married and start their life together. But after the night of Peter’s bachelor party, Peter comes home and tells Daphne he has fallen in love with his female best friend Petra and is leaving. Daphne has no choice but to move out and into an apartment with Petra’s now ex-boyfriend Miles. Daphne and Miles become jilted lovers and must live together until they find new arrangements for each of them. A friendship grows between them and they become vital to each other’s post breakup recovery. Could it evolve into more? I’m sure you can guess what happens next but regardless, it’s such a cute heartwarming story.

11. The Night We Met

I am a huge Abby Jimenez fan, so I had to read her newest book. It’s similar to most of her other stories so if you love her books, then you will enjoy this one. Larissa meets Mike at a concert one night and falls for him immediately. But dating Mike means that you will have to get along with his very close group of guy friends. When Mike is unable to help Larissa drive her mom to the hospital for a scheduled surgery, he enlists his friend Chris to help her.

Chris is responsible, kind and the complete opposite of Mike. After a few times of Mike cancelling on Larissa for different reasons, Chris often steps in to help or meet her in place of Mike. It’s inevitable that feelings develop between Larissa and Chris which they both realize could devastate a lifelong friendship. Even though Abby Jimenez’s books follow the same type of storyline with the same level of predictability, I still LOVE them so much!!

12. These Summer Storms

I love a messy wealthy family story so this book was an immediate yes when I read the synopsis. Alice Storm has been apart from her family for the past 5 years after a devastating argument with her father where he told her to leave and never come back. But after a tragic accident takes the Storm patriarch’s life, Alice must return to her family home for his funeral. Time with her family is not something Alice enjoys. And the relationships she has with her mother and siblings are all strained due to years of complicated and dysfunctional family dynamics.

Her father’s immense wealth and status guarantees that his funeral will be a worldwide news event which adds only more stress to the brittle family bonds. Throw in a “game” of sorts that her father imparts upon them in his will which requires all her siblings and mother to complete a set of tasks in 7 days in order to receive their inheritance. Tempers flair, old grudges resurface and secrets buried for decades come to light which threaten to destroy everyone in the Storm family.

It’s been a long time since I used stick foundations but I was curious to try them again because I love the ease of them. Just swipe it on the skin, blend it out and that’s it. I don’t have to worry about using a mixing palette or the back of my hand to dispense the product and then apply it onto the face. Stick foundations are so easy to use but not all are suitable for mature skin. Since stick foundations are a solid texture rather than a cream or liquid, there is a chance that it could be too heavy, too dry and perhaps more likely to show texture, lines, etc.

I decided to begin testing a few in order to share my thoughts on which ones I loved. After using and wearing a handful of different stick foundations, I have found four formulations that I really enjoy and wear regularly. My skin has changed so much these past few years so finding a stick foundation that works on mature skin took some time but I definitely think these are worth trying.

Best Stick Foundations For Mature Skin

Dior Forever Skin Perfect Stick Foundation

The Dior Forever Skin Perfect Stick Foundation is designed to give the skin a natural finish while blurring imperfections and delivering up to 24 hr wear. The 24 hr wear claim is absolutely insane and one of my biggest pet peeves about makeup brands but I can confirm that it does stay put ALL DAY LONG until I remove it. For me that is usually 8-10 hours but I am sure it would last longer though I am hesitant to say it would last a full day. It’s a hydrating formula but not in a intensely dewy or glowy way. It’s creamy, smooth and keeps my skin looking the same at the end of the day as when I applied it first thing in the morning.

The Dior Forever Stick Foundation gives a true natural skin finish. Not too dewy, not too matte. It does manage to be the perfect blend of both to leave the skin looking natural and radiant in a subtle way. It stays looking natural throughout the day and doesn’t get increasingly shiny or dewy. My skin type is closer to dry and slightly mature so I wasn’t sure I would like something without a glow but I absolutely LOVE this. And the blurring aspect to it is truly impressive. It really does give a smoothing filter like finish to the skin.

Ilia Skin Rewind Blurring Foundation and Concealer Complexion Stick

Ilia beauty is known for creating makeup/skincare hybrid products that perform well but also have added skincare benefits in them. This Rewind Complexion Stick is no exception. It is a complexion stick designed to give medium coverage, a natural matte finish and provide a slight blurring effect to the skin. The formula is said to be long wearing and help to provide anti-aging benefits over time such as smoothing and firming the skin. My skin is a bit more normal to dry now so I wasn’t sure I would love the natural matte finish but it was creamier than I anticipated which was nice. The creamy finish and blurring aspect was noticeable immediately though I definitely feel this is a summer foundation for me more than a winter one. The natural matte finish is great for the heat and humidity and it manages to feel weightless on the skin.

Merit Beauty The Minimalist Perfecting Complexion Stick

This is a complexion stick that you can use as a foundation or a concealer or just spot treat where you need it. I personally use it all over my face as a traditional foundation which means it will probably run out a bit sooner than my other stick foundations which is a downside but the formula is so great that I would be willing to repurchase it even with this issue. The Merit Minimalist Complexion Stick gives a creamy satin finish to the skin and is very easy to blend. It provides sheer to light coverage but it spreads nicely so you can cover a large portion of the face with just one swipe.

Even though I have dry skin, this formulation works beautifully on me and doesn’t require a ton of skincare prep to ensure it looks seamless and skin-like. If you have more oily or combination skin, this would be a great option since it has a natural satin finish. For the sheer coverage, I wasn’t expecting it to be incredibly long wearing but it surprised me and wore beautifully all day long.

Westman Atelier Vital Skin Foundation Stick (discount code: 10MAREE)

I was not a huge fan of Westman Atelier makeup a few years ago when I tried a handful of things from the brand. Everything felt a bit too emollient and dewy for my slightly combination skin at the time. Fast forwards to today and my skin type and texture have really changed and I LOVE Westman Atelier products now. While I love all the foundations listed in this group, the Westman Atelier Vital Stick Foundation is my favorite. It manages to look even more skin-like than any of the other formulas and is almost undetectable on the face. It gives light coverage that can be built up a bit but blends in seamlessly and makes you skin look like it’s just had a facial. It’s fresh and dewy but not glowy or greasy. It is truly the perfect embodiment of a complexion product making your skin look like skin.

It looks nearly perfect after I first apply it, but it manages to look better as the day goes on! I have rarely ever found a complexion product that looks better the longer it is on my skin but this is definitely true for the Westman Atelier Vital Stick Foundation. If you have oily or combination skin, I still think this would work but may require a setting powder or light dusting down the t-zone to help prevent shine. If you have normal or dry skin, this is an absolute DREAM! Truly one of the best complexion products I have ever used.