2019 Summer Beach Reads
Summer is finally here, and we bet you’re just as excited about it as we are! Hilton Head Island is a one-stop-shop for all of your favorite summertime activities, including hiking, biking, golfing, swimming, and more! Aside from all the activities, one of the best parts of the summer season is being able to take the much-needed time to relax.
There’s nothing quite like that moment when you take your sandals off and press your feet into the warm sand. Your biggest decision for the day? Deciding where to drop your towel and cooler and stay parked on the sand for the day (and with more than 12 miles of beaches, that can be a tough decision!). Enjoy the warm sunshine, a super cold beverage, and top it all off with a really good book. Here’s some of our favorite recommended reads for the beach this summer:
My Lovely Wife by Samantha Downing

For lovers of the show Dexter, this #1 International Bestseller will be a serious page turner. Every marriage is said to have its lulls, where couples are forced to work together to regain their spark. This novel follows a more unique new hobby to keeping a marriage alive—serial murder.
Recursion by Blake Crouch

Barry Sutton is investigating a new phenomenon the media has called ‘False Memory Syndrome.’ This strange new disease is said to be taking over people’s minds and filling them with memories they never actually lived. Throughout his investigation, he comes in contact with neuroscientist Helena Smith, who is working to develop a life changing technology which preserves our favorite memories, and allows us to relive them on demand.
While making your own real beach memories, you can follow how Barry and Helena end up encountering a force that attacks more than just the mind, and they are challenged to work together to defeat it.
The Gifted School by Bruce Holsinger

If you’ve been following the recent college scandals in the media, this book is coming at a very relevant time. Set to be released on July 2nd, The Gifted School profiles a long-term group of friends who have worked to raise their kids in parallel. When the group hears of a new school for “exceptional learners” opening, tensions begin to rise and a competitive side bubbles to the surface. The book shows how quickly people can turn from close friends to being selfish and entitled, losing sight of what’s really important in an effort to achieve a higher status.
The Woman in the Window by A.J. Finn
If you read or watched Gone Girl and Girl on the Train, this book will fuel your love for a psychological suspense thriller. The main character Anna is agoraphobic, leaving her crippled with anxiety and unable to leave her home. Her coping mechanisms are her medications, and copious amounts of wine.
One evening, Anna witnesses an attack in a home across the street, but because of her current lifestyle, no one believes her. It’s a slow build at the start, but this book will have you questioning everything and everyone involved.
If you like to spend your days out on the water kayaking or boating, The Woman in the Window is a great follow-up. Even if you’re feeling tired after a fun and busy day, this suspenseful page-turner will keep you awake.
The Kiss Quotient by Helen Hoang
Winner of the Goodreads Choice Awards in 2018, The Kiss Quotient is the perfect blend of sweet and sexy in a romance novel. Stella is a young woman with Asperger's syndrome. She hasn’t experienced much on the romantic side of things, and therefore is convinced she needs to learn to be “good” at it. Naturally, she hires a professional to show her the ropes. A professional escort, that is, named Michael.
Follow Stella’s story in this heartwarming and refreshing novel as she learns love can’t be calculated or predicted.
The Gone Dead by Chanelle Benz
Billie James' inheritance isn't much, other than a little money and a shack in the Mississippi Delta. The house once belonged to her father; a renowned black poet who died unexpectedly when Billie was four years old. Though Billie was there when the accident happened, she has no memory of that day—and she hasn't been back to the South since.
Follow Billie’s journey back to the home where she uncovers secrets about her father's life and death.
Aside from indulging in a good book, we also know that it’s important to focus on your own life and story. If you’re ready to write your own next chapter about your summer relaxing on the beach or by the pool, living your best #LowcountryLife, start planning your trip to Hilton Head Island today. Be sure to also check out our travel offers for savings on your summer vacation. If you have a summer beach read you love, let us know about it on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram and we’ll be sure to add it to our list!
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