Grab your handy beach bag, a favorite beverage and a few books to spend the summer hours!
New York Times bestselling author Mariah Stewart travels back to her Chesapeake Diaries series with "Home for the Summer."
Lucy Sinclair has warm memories of her childhood in St. Dennis, especially of her best friend, Clay Madison. But after a horrible attack, her memories of that time were marred forever. When she comes back to town as an events planner for a celebrity wedding, she runs into Clay and their old friendship takes a turn to something deeper. Clay, who stayed in town and has since inherited a farm and started a brewery, never understood why Lucy pushed him away one summer. Can he convince her to take a chance with her heart?
This is a warm story of realistic characters, with a beautiful story of second chances at romance.
"Home for Summer" is published by Ballentine. It is $7.99 and 353 pages long.
Bestselling author Holly Chamberlin tackles friendships and bullying in "Last Summer."
At a lovely beachside town, Jane Patterson moved in next door to her best friend, Frannie Giroux. The two women's friendship continues to grow, as does their teenage daughters, Rosie and Meg, who soon become fast friends as well. But then the girls' freshman year of high school comes, and the quiet Rosie soon becomes the target of vicious bullying. Meg, fearful of the bully, tells a terrible secret about Rosie, and everything falls apart.
Now, Jane blames both her former friend and her daughter for her lovely daughter's emotional breakdown. Jane tries to help Rosie pick up the pieces of her life and make a fresh start, but in order for that to happen, confrontations must be made.
This is a powerful story of the toll of bullying and about the ties of friendship. This is a story that will stay with you.
"Last Summer" is published by Kensington. It is $15 and 310 pages long.
A young woman gets a chance for a fresh start in "My Stubborn Heart" by Becky Wade.
After having her heart broken again and suffering from burnout from her job, Kate Donovan jumps at the chance to go with her grandma to a small Pennsylvania town to restore the old house she grew up in. Throwing herself into the renovations, Kate is also thrust into the path of Matt Jarreau, the man hired to help with the renovations. At first standoffish and then gradually warming up, Kate is intrigued by Matt. He is still dealing with his wife's death and doesn't seem to think he could love again, but he also seems to be changing in front of Kate. But can they take the chance on each other? And would a relationship mean a move for one or both of them?
This is a nice, heartwarming romance about two people drawn together and finding healing together. "My Stubborn Heart" is published by Bethany House. It is $13.99 and is 343 pages long.
For adults or teens, the hilarious Heather Cocks and Jessica Morgan, the women behind the Go Fug Yourself fashion blog and authors of "Spoiled" are back with "Messy."
In "Spoiled," everyday teen Molly Dix, found out she was the daughter of Brick Berlin, mega movie star, and the half-sister of his daughter, Brooke Berlin. While the girls weren't exactly on good terms at first, they are now good friends and getting comfortable with their new family dynamic.
Molly's best friend, Max McCormack and Brooke, have always been opposites. Through Molly, the two girls have started to tolerate each other. But when Brooke decides she wants to be taken seriously as an actress and not just as Brick Berlin's daughter, she decides her angle will be as a blogger, writing about her Hollywood experience. But she doesn't have time to write it and gets the idea that Max's "voice" is just what she needs. Soon, Max is tagging along with Brooke, ghost writing her blog as a chance to make money and gain some writing experience. But when Max's blog is key in getting Brooke a role, how long can the charade last? Add in a cute boy by the name of Brady Swift, who clicks with Max and is starring in Brooke's movie, and the tension really adds up. Will the truth or a boy ruin everything? This is a fun, hilarious story of the ins and outs of Hollywood, with two very relatable main characters and plenty of glitz and glamour. Both teens and adults who love fashion, dry wit and celebrity will love this one.
"Messy" is published by Poppy. It is $17.99.
Contact Amy Phelps at aphelps@newsandsentinel.com
