Happy Sunday readers!
It’s time for more beach reads. All these books have beach-y vibes that are perfect if you’re looking for a summertime read.
Sea Horse Ranch by Natalie Keller Reinert
Series: Sea Horse Ranch Book 1
Genre: Women’s Fiction
Romance Content: Low Spice
Why I enjoyed this book: The horses, the beach, the vibes, the romance, the iguanas (if you read it, you’ll understand) and the community Natalie Keller Reinert created in Hell And Dammit Cay all worked SO well together. This book is just straight fun!
It’s the perfect island escape.
When Katie hitchhiked her way out of Key West, she was looking for a fresh start. Kicked out of the small-time band where she’d been a back-up singer, and not sure what was coming next, she accepted a truck ride from a Conch native – and found herself on a tiny island inhabited by eccentrics and a herd of charming horses. Oh, and Lou.
Lou’s a mystery Katie would love to unravel – the son of Sea Horse Ranch’s owner, with a past he’s keeping secret and a gorgeous smile she can’t get enough of. But her stay in the Keys isn’t just about a fling with the handsome local. Sea Horse Ranch’s future is in jeopardy, and the longer Katie stays, the more committed she’ll become to keeping this magical little island safe from harm. As she falls deeper in love with the Florida Keys, Katie might just find that her past is the key to saving her future.
Pull up a lounger, pour yourself a boat drink, and get ready for a beach read in the sun-splashed and utterly unique Florida Keys!
In Search of the Hero God by Kristin Gleeson
Series: Rise of the Celtic Gods Book 2
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Romance Content: Steamy
Why I enjoyed this book: All the Celtic mythology and music vibes blend together so seamlessly in this book. There’s plenty of magic, angst, and intrigue to keep you turning the pages. A must if you enjoy Celtic mythology & urban fantasy!
He just wants to surf and play music, but the gods have other plans.
Surfing and music are all that sounds good to Luke at this point in his life. Especially after the betrayal of the one woman he thought shared his musical passion. But the gods won’t let him rest, and though he suspects that some great and terrible danger is afoot that threatens the land, he wants no part of it, the past has scarred him too heavily. So spending the summer hiding among the surfer dudes of a West Cork town with his close friend Mon seems the perfect answer. Until he finds out that danger and betrayal can be found anywhere, and when the gods come hunting they won’t stop until they find their target.
Saoirse and Smithy want nothing more than to resume the promise of their love and life before the battle in the Otherworld when Smithy was brought back to life. But it’s just not that simple, especially for Smithy who comes to realise that his mind and his body aren’t what they were and the effort to hide that from Saoirse and everyone else increasingly becomes impossible. Especially when they both get drawn into recovering one of the treasures of the gods and Balor ramps up his poisonous activities. Smithy soon realises he must choose between protecting his secret or protecting his friends and the woman he loves.
It Takes Heart by Tif Marcelo
Series: Heart Resort Book 1
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Romance Content: Steamy
Why I enjoyed this book: As an East Coast native who grew up going to the Outer Banks, this setting was perfect for me and second chance romance is one of my favorite romance tropes! The romance is excellent with plenty of tension and the family dynamic really adds so much richness to this story line. If you enjoy contemporary romance with large families and a little steam, definitely check this one out!
Heart Resort, a private resort in the Outer Banks, is a romantic getaway for couples but a hotbed of family drama for its proprietors, the Puso family. Brandon Puso, the youngest of the four siblings, prefers life on his own as a licensed contractor in DC after a falling-out with his eldest brother.
After a hurricane plows through the Outer Banks, Brandon has a change of heart. He returns to the resort to help with the grand reopening but encounters his big sister’s best friend, designer Geneva Harris, who’s there to do the same thing. But Geneva and Brandon have a secret. Years ago, they had a secret romance that ended in heartbreak.
With the resort’s future at stake, Brandon and Geneva decide to put the past aside and to keep peace with the family. But as their mutual attraction heats up, they have to decide if history will repeat itself—or if this time, love gets a second chance.