Happy Tuesday! It’s almost the end of the month, so I am sharing the books I read in June and July and what I am currently reading. I usually do a monthly post, but I was in Alaska at the end of June and I haven’t found/made the time to recap my reading since we got back. I hope you are ready for a big list of books, becuase here they come! I am linking up with Joanne and Dara for Share Your Shelf so be sure to check it out on the first Thursday of next month for other great bookish posts.

The MASH Up by Laura Marie Meyers ☀️☀️☀️☀️☀️
**2026 Sunshine & Books Summer Beach Read**

This book was a fun “what if…” book. Ruby is living life by the rules until her 35th birthday when her boyfriend breaks up with her, instead of proposing and her best friend shares a MASH game from seventh grade. In the game, Ruby ends up with her current nemesis and is living in a technicolor house with a technicolor wardrobe, running a roller disco restaurant. This could not be further from her beige apartment, with her plain wardrobe, and her job as an accountant (I think). The next morning, Ruby wakes up in MASH world and has to figure out what she really wants. Initially, she wants to get back to 35 year old Ruby, but then she remembers what she once loved in that techicolor world and isn’t sure what she should do. It was fun to remember that MASH and think of all the funny options we put in the game. I enjoyed how Ruby discovered who she really wants to be and what makes her happy. Perfect for a pool day! *Thank you to NetGalley for an advanced reader copy in exchange for my honest opinion.*

Mad Mabel by Sally Hepworth☀️☀️☀️☀️☀️
**2026 Sunshine & Books Summer Beach Read**

Oh how I love Sally Hepworth books! They usually have the perfect amount of suspense for me. This was no exception! Mad Mabel is Australia’s youngest convicted murder and her story has been told far and wide across the continent. Elsie is a cranky old lady that minds her own business, tolerates her precocious 7 year old neighbor, and always has a hot cup of tea. When Elsie’s neighbor dies and she is the one to find his body, the whole town discovers that Elsie is Mabel and rumors start to fly. In an effort to clear her name and keep the peace in on their quiet street, Elsie takes control of the situation. She’s ready to tell her story and reveal what actually happened all those years ago. What a wild, twisty story Elsie/Mabel have to share and I was entertained on every single page! Go read it! *Thank you to NetGalley for an advanced reader copy in exchange for my honest opinion.*

Brighter Than Before by Courtney Walsh☀️☀️☀️☀️
**2026 Sunshine & Books Summer Beach Read**

I have followed Courtney Walsh on social media for a little while, but this is my first book by her. For those who don’t know, Courtney writes rom com books that are fun and swoony and do not have swearing, spicy scenes, terminal illness, violence, or dark themes (from her Instagram). This book is just that! Claire’s marriage ends in a spectacular and public way, so she sells the house and moves to Chicago. She has a running list of things she wants to do. Some of that list are run of the mill for a new town and others are big leaps. Her college aged daugher sets her up with an online dating account and Claire is taking on city life one day at a time. She collects a great group of friends that are like family, continues to believe in herself through some hilarious mishaps, and and learns a lot about who she is. I enjoyed the book, her relationship with her daughter, and all the funny first dates. *Thank you to NetGalley for an advanced reader copy in exchange for my honest opinion.*

Road Trip by Mary Kay Andrews☀️☀️☀️☀️☀️
**2026 Sunshine & Books Summer Beach Read**

This book was a bit of a departure from MKA’s usual coastal stories, but it was great!! Two sisters that DO NOT get along are forced to deal with their mother’s estate after she passes away. Both sisters need the money from the sale of the house and the estate and are devastated to find that their mother has mortgaged the house to send money to a television preacher. Their uncle presents them with a coffee can full of money that their mother intended for them to use to go to Ireland and visit the village in Ireland that their family is from. Their great grandmother fled to America one night the night of a murder decades ago and has been blamed ever since. There is also a painting that has always hung in the living room that their mother claimed was worth a lot of money, but there is doubt that this one is a fake. The only way to verify the painting and clear their family name is to go to Ireland. The begrudginly go, but manage to find a romance, solve the mystery, and learn a lot about each other. This book made me laugh like MKA always does and had me reminiscing about our trip to Ireland in 2003.*Thank you to NetGalley for an advanced reader copy in exchange for my honest opinion.*

The Mother-Daughter Book Club by Susan Patterson and James Patterson☀️☀️☀️☀️1/2
**2026 Sunshine & Books Summer Beach Read**

My mom gave this book to my sister and me for Mother’s Day with the hopes that we would all read it before we went to Alaska together. The goal was to chat about it on the ship. That did not happen. My mom and I finished it on the ship and Annie is getting to it soon 😉. While the book had a slow start, I really enjoyed and so did my mom. Four women and their five daughters form a mother daughter book club and meet annually to talk about the books. Three of the mothers met in college and the fourth mother joined the group after they had their daughters. The daughters are friends because their mothers are, but they do keep in touch outside of the book club meetings. After a disasterous and tragic book club meeting last year, they all come to Lake Como to talk books and get together. They all have high hopes for the weekend and their hostess has planned the weekend to the minute. Of course a gathering of 9 women does not stick to the schedule. There are some ups and downs across the weekend, but they all left happy to have come and been together. They mention so many books and delicious recipes that I was a little reluctant to pass the book along to a friend. Luckily, my mom took pictures and shared them with me!

Abby Offsides by Anna McCallie☀️☀️☀️☀️☀️

I was so excited to read this book during the World Cup and it did not disappoint. Abby decides to go to England after she breaks up with her cheating fiance in Boston. She’s always worked in sports, but knows nothing about football (soccer) when she gets a job at the Mersey Football Club. As she’s leaving the interview she meets a handsome stranger, who turns out to be Mersey’s biggest star and she has no idea. Through the book, Abby ends up living with the big star, Lachlan, because he has a huge penthouse and his wife is still in Spain. Abby thinks he might be falling for her and she is definitely developing feelings for Lachlan. She knows he’s married and she’s just an average girl from Boston, but wonders if this could really work out. This book was full of soccer, laughs, some heartfelt scenes, and romance. It was a great choice during the World Cup and is still a great choice as the Premier League games start this week! I can’t wait for Anna McCallie to write another book! *Thank you to NetGalley for an advanced reader copy in exchange for my honest opinion.*

Our Perfect Storm by Carley Fortune☀️☀️☀️☀️☀️
**2026 Sunshine & Books Summer Beach Read**

I was anxiously awaiting this book and was thrilled when my library hold came in right before we left for vacation. I started reading it when we were heading to Vancouver on the ship. A lot of this book takes place on Vancouver Island, not the city we were in, but close enough. The description of the landscape was so fresh in my mind with the trees, water, and coastline. Frankie and George have been best friends since they were eight years old. They had tons of childhood adventures, a special mailbox between their houses, and were roommates as young adults. Fast forward to now when Frankie is about to get married and George hasn’t arrived yet. She’s worried he won’t show as their relationship can be quite fiery at times. George shows up – hooray – but her fiance is gone the next morning – devastating! They still go on her honeymoon and George has a plan to help Frankie through this and restore their friendship. It’s a big leap of faith, but they are both willing to try. It was a great summer read! Go read it, even if you aren’t in Vancouver this summer!!

Dolly All The Time by Annabel Monaghan☀️☀️☀️☀️☀️
**2026 Sunshine & Books Summer Beach Read**

I LOVED THIS BOOK!!! Annabel Monaghan is quickly becoming one of my favorite authors. I have loved every book she’s written. In this one, Dolly goes home for the summer to help her dad and brother manage the damage from a small fire in their house. She is also working in their fish shop and helping with deliveries. On one delivery she encounters a man that has always been in her thoughts but was never attainable. They end up spending a lot of time together, giving Dolly the fun she so desparately needs and the stable friend he needs. When things blow up in a very big way, Dolly is upset, but continues on like she always has. I loved how the story ended, how Dolly took control of the situation, and how much everyone grew in the book! *Thank you to NetGalley for an advanced reader copy in exchange for my honest opinion.*

Dogs on the Trail: A Year in the Life by Blair Braverman☀️☀️☀️☀️

I picked this book up at the library before we headed to Alaska. I didn’t end up reading it until we were home, but I am still glad I read it. It was rather entertaining and informative about the life of a sled dog. After seeing a sled dog kennel on a glacier this summer, I thought this was a great book. Even though I am not a dog person, watching the dogs on the glacier and reading about them was very entertaining!

The Shampoo Effect by Jenny Jackson☀️☀️☀️☀️
**2026 Sunshine & Books Summer Beach Read**

I definitely liked this book more than Jenny Jackson’s first book. I am nosy/curious and I loved seeing the glimpse into the book world and the idyllic seaside town of Greenhead. I really enjoyed the parallels between the storyline in the book and the local author’s book from decades before. I thought the friend group was very interesting and watching Caroline navigate her attempt to join them felt real. This book was full of drama, friendship, family, and a beachy setting. I thought it was good summer read, but I do not agree that it was laugh out loud funny like the cover says. *Thank you to NetGalley for an advanced reader copy in exchange for my honest opinion.*

Currently Reading: Close Knit by Jenny Colgan

I realized I missed this book in the Mure series when I started to read Meet Me at the Seaside Cottages by Jenny Colgan from my Summer Beach Books list. I had to take a quick departure from this year’s books to keep reading in order.

Currently Listening: The Martian by Andy Weir

You can always checkout what I’ve been reading on my Books 2026 page. I have all of my yearly reading pages linked here if you want to see what I’ve been reading for the last 8 years.

What have you been reading this summer? I have a few children’s books in my library bag, but I might return them and keep reading my Summer Beach Books. When I go back to work in 27 days, I can pivot to reading books for work, right?? Now that swim team is over and my calendar is pretty empty, I am hoping to get back to my normal two books a week summer reading pace. Have a great day full of sunshine and books!!

This post contains Amazon Affiliate links.
Thank you for reading and supporting Sunshine & Books.