12 Christian Fiction Beach Reads for Your Summer
Get ready to get lost in a good story! These twelve new releases are perfect for tucking into your beach bag for a summer escape. From sweeping historical romance to small-town second chances to pulse-pounding suspense, we’ve got you covered all season long.
Whether you’re stretched out on a beach towel, curled up on the porch with a glass of sweet tea, or sneaking chapters between summer activities, this list has something for every kind of reader. We’re talking Regency ballrooms and Scottish highlands, fake dating and second chances, treasure hunts in national parks, and survival missions in the Cascades.
A debutante is navigating Edwardian society, a ballerina finding her way back home, and a librarian teaming up with her childhood crush to save the children’s section. One story will whisk you to 1939 Georgia, where a small hotel becomes a refuge for Jewish refugee children — and another will have you turning pages so fast you’ll forget what time it is.
These are the kinds of books that make summer feel like summer — the ones with just enough tension to keep you hooked and just enough heart to leave you sighing at the end. Several are debuts worth reading, and a few are from beloved authors who never disappoint. We’ve included links to each title so you can snag your favorites before the season slips away.
Now find your favorite reading spot. Your next great story is waiting.
Harbor Pointe by Irene Hannon
If you haven’t read Irene Hannon’s books yet, start with this sweet romance. Devyn Lee is a prima ballerina pulled back to her hometown by a family emergency, and while helping with a local fundraiser she meets a young girl and her widowed father, a small-town lumberman with two left feet. When sparks fly, they’ll have to confront what their hearts are telling them.
Chase the Light by Suzanne Woods Fisher
If you love a good treasure hunt, this one’s for you. Park ranger Scout Johnson stumbles onto a century-old mystery in Acadia National Park and teams up with Naki Dana, whose native heritage helps crack the clues, but local reporter Chase Fletcher is chasing both the story and Scout. Adventure, romance, and secrets? This summer read has it all!
Shortbread in the Highlands by Robin Jones Gunn
Pack your bags for Scotland! Cousins Nora and Allie travel to Scotland to claim their gran’s inheritance, but nothing goes as planned thanks to delays and charmingly eccentric villagers. Between castle visits and hikes through heather-covered hills, they stumble into family secrets that change everything. Robin Jones Gunn writes the kind of armchair travel story you’ll savor.
The Good Fortune of Miss Robbins by Melanie Dickerson
Jane Eyre fans, this Regency romance is calling your name. Charlotte Robbins is a governess hopelessly drawn to the brooding Earl of Brookhaven until she unexpectedly inherits a fortune and gets swept into London society. But is her new wealth a blessing or the very thing standing between her and the love she’s longed for?
Even After This by Deborah Clack
If you’re in the mood for an emotional romance that will make you cry and laugh, this one belongs on your TBR! After losing everything she holds dear, Meredith Harper escapes to Colorado and meets celebrity Harlan Holcombe. As their unexpected romance deepens, both must decide whether to guard their wounded hearts or embrace the healing power of a second chance at love.
A Deal with a Debutante by Chelsea Bobulski
Is witty banter in Edwardian England your cup of tea? American heiress Calliope Hart is determined to avoid a loveless match, but the charming (and slightly broke) Earl of Hayward proposes a deal that’s too tempting to refuse. As Edward starts showing her around the city—and his heart—she must figure out whether he’s really after her fortune or actually falling for her.
A Love Once Lost by Jennie Goutet
If you love Persuasion, you’ll disappear into this second-chance romance. Amy Bridwell sets off on a Grand Tour of Europe with her family, the same trip her former sweetheart James once proposed they take as newlyweds. She unexpectedly runs into him in the resort town of Spa, but he’s now engaged to someone else. Cue all the old feelings and what-ifs as she’s forced to confront the choice she made years ago.
Almost by Design by Jenny Erlingsson
This charming contemporary romance had us smiling from beginning to end! When Kenya Stewart’s career hits a rough patch, she convinces doctor Solomon Anruchi to fake a relationship to help them both out. Of course, real feelings have a way of complicating even the best-laid plans. Jenny Erlingsson writes characters that leap right off the page.
In a Word, Yes by Kit Tosello
This one touched our hearts in such a tender way. Lucy Montgomery is great at building walls, but chasing her dreams of writing—and finding love along the way—means learning to tear a few down. Woven alongside her story is that of her celebrity mother Carly, who is facing her own regrets. This is a lovely story about risk, faith, and opening your heart.
The Brunswick by Callie Murray
This Southern fiction book inspired by true events is stirring and heartfelt. It’s 1939 Georgia, and Cora Cain is barely keeping her family’s general store and hotel afloat when Thomas Watkins shows up looking for peace. Their connection is immediate, but everything is tested when they take in Jewish refugee children. Callie Murray’s debut novel is one that will stay with you.
Bookmarked for Love by Sarah Monzon
Bookish heroine + forced proximity + middle-age romance? Yes please! Martha Aldridge will do anything to save her library’s children’s program, even team up with her now-wealthy childhood crush Julien King, who needs her expertise to revive his family’s children’s imprint and finally prove himself to his dad. Of course working that closely together stirs up way more than business, and Sarah Monzon’s charming rom-com style makes it such a delight.
When the Silence Breaks by Elizabeth Goddard
The adrenaline rush from this romantic suspense novel kept us up way past bedtime. Sarah Ellison stumbles upon a connection between a deathbed confession and a WWII plane crash in the Pacific Northwest’s Cascade Mountains and pulls in ex-Navy SEAL Ryder Goodwin to be her guide. What starts as a search for answers turns into a full-on survival mission, with one shot to trust each other and uncover a truth someone is willing to kill to keep buried.
Happy Reading!
Club31 Team
P.S. If you’re looking for more summer reading ideas, check out this post.
