12 Great Beach Reads About Finding Love and a Fresh Start

Beach Books: Our 12 Picks

Things to Bring on Your Next Beach Trip

• Sunscreen
• A nice big umbrella
• Some comfy towels
• A cart to carry all your stuff in
• If you're feeling adventurous, a beach cruiser bike can help you explore
• Lounge chairs
• Enough drink holders for all of your friends
• Some fun toys for the kids

8 Cute Romantic Movies

If you enjoy reading about love, you probably have a good time watching it on the big screen as well. Check out these eight romantic movies (if you haven't already):

1. 27 Dresses (2008)
2. Love Actually (2003)
3. Sleepless in Seattle (1993)
4. 50 First Dates (2004)
5. A Walk to Remember (2002)
6. My Big Fat Greek Wedding (2002)
7. Amélie (2001)
8. Never Been Kissed (1999)

Fun Date Ideas For Your Real-Life Romance

• Cook dinner together
• Go for a hike or a bike ride
• Get together for a karaoke night
• Go bowling
• Have a picnic on a sunny day
• Play a boardgame or video game together
• Go to a roller rink
• Have a candlelit dinner
• Join a book club together

The Science of Attraction

In Depth

If you're planning a vacation or just want to sit out in the summer sun with a refreshing read, you can't go wrong with a light romance novel. Book lovers will delight in these twelve great beach reads about finding love and a fresh start, listed here in no particular order.

Kicking off at #1 is "The Kiss on Castle Road" by Lauren Christopher. Natalie is in need of a "mancation," so when her older sister invites her to stay on Lavender Island, she readily agrees. She wants to spend her time babysitting her niece in order to prove that under her carefree exterior, she can be responsible. But her plans are derailed when she tries to get help for some sick sea lions on the beach, and Elliott, a handsome microbiologist who seems to be her opposite, enters her life.

#2 is "Still Waters" by Rebecca Addison. Everything isn't always as it seems. Some people with perfect lives on the outside are just pretending. Hartley knows this because she is one of those people. When an unearthed secret sends her sprinting away from her charming boyfriend and off to the coast, she meets Crew, a man who's running from his past just as Hartley is avoiding her future. Together, they might be able to live in the present, at least until their secrets catch up to them.

Some people with perfect lives on the outside are just pretending.

Next up, #3 is "At First Touch" by Cindy Miles. Reagan loses her sight while serving in the military. It sends her into a funk that's only made worse by returning home. But when she meets Eric, he helps her learn a new way to live. Shoved out of her comfort zone, Reagan is able to find joy in life again. She stops seeing Eric's persistence as annoying and begins to think about him in a completely different way.

At #4, we have "Better Together" by Crista McHugh. Britney is a country singer who once married a cowboy during a drunken fling. She knows the marriage won't last and there's no sense fighting for it or letting it get out to the public. She files for divorce immediately, but her husband won't sign the paperwork. Alex is a rancher in Hawaii who needs a wife in order to make a deal to protect his herd. He'll only help move the divorce forward under one condition: Britney has to pretend to be his wife for two weeks. She agrees, and once she gets to Hawaii, she finds it difficult to resist the rancher's charms.

#5 is "Blue Jeans and Coffee Beans" by Joanne DeMaio. Maris left New England years ago to become a designer. But when her father dies, she comes home and finds an old film that brings back memories and unearths family secrets. A reunion with old friends reminds her of what she used to have, but is it really all in the past? Maris could settle her father's estate, then turn around and go home as she planned. Or, she could stick around and recover what she's lost, rekindle an old romance, and build up a brand new future.

Or, she could stick around and recover what she's lost, rekindle an old romance, and build up a brand new future.

#6 is "Falling for You" by Julie Ortolon. Oliver's life path has been laid out for him, but he has no problem marrying a woman he doesn't love and taking over the bank his family owns. That is until he meets Rory, a woman who needs a business loan from him. What starts as her persistently pursuing her dream of buying back the home of her ancestors, soon turns into a passionate affair. They both know their romance is a bad idea, but neither of them can deny their growing chemistry.

#7 is "Cross His Heart" by Ruth Ryan Langan, part of the "Classic Romance" series. Kendall finds herself short on cash and decides to rent out a room in her home to visitors. Her first tenant is a man named Neal. She soon finds herself falling for him, and the feeling appears to be mutual. But it's not all smooth sailing for the couple. Their relationship will have to be strong in order to overcome the secrets of Kendall's past.

Next on the list, #8 is "How I Met Your Brother" by Janette Rallison. Belle couldn't bring herself to go to her friend Marco's wedding, even though she was supposed to be his wife's bridesmaid. When she finds out, seven years later, that the two have divorced, she sees it as a second chance to let Marco know how she feels before it's too late. But Marco's twin brother, Flynn, thinks there's still a possibility that the couple might reconcile. He's determined to keep Belle out of their way.

Belle couldn't bring herself to go to her friend Marco's wedding, even though she was supposed to be his wife's bridesmaid.

#9 is "Summer Heat" by Forbes Arnone, M.B. Feeney, and R.E. Hargrave. This collection of romantic short stories features women looking to make changes in their lives. Anela of "In My Mother's Footsteps" searches for the father she grew up without and meets a boy along the way. In "Just Like in the Movies," Ava wants a Hollywood-worthy romance to sweep her away from her boring life. Lastly, "Haunted Raine" follows Lorraine's rescue mission for her stale marriage, which includes the mistaken purchase of a haunted house.

#10 is "Love Bites" by Ophelia London. When Sharona goes to Australia on a business trip, she only has one night to herself. She decides she's going to make it count, which is why she boldly kisses a man she doesn't know. Taken aback by her own actions, she runs away before things can go further. Little does she know, she will soon see her mystery man again. Jeff is a marine biologist who's concentrated solely on his job, but when the auditor for his trip is the woman who kissed him the night before, he finds it difficult to focus on work.

#11 is "The Beach Cafe" by Lucy Diamond. After a string of failed career attempts, Evie feels stuck. The success of her sisters makes things even worse, and life with her practical boyfriend isn't what she wants for herself. When a car crash kills her aunt, Evie inherits a cafe on the shore, giving her an opportunity to prove she can achieve something wonderful. Evie might not know it yet, but all of her dreams might be just around the corner.

The success of her sisters makes things even worse, and life with her practical boyfriend isn't what she wants for herself.

Lastly, #12 is "Until Love Finds You" by Pamela Aares. Coco doesn't want to buy success with money; she wants to allow her talent to speak for itself. When she meets Evan, she thinks he's an average tech guru. In actuality, he's a billionaire struggling with his own problems. He doesn't speak to his family or really to anyone other than his best friend, who is constantly pushing him to get outside and interact with others. Together, Coco and Evan may be able to help each other open up, and save Coco's photography business along the way.