Summer is the perfect time to get swept away by a great romance while you relax by the water, and we’ve rounded up three great romance novels about love by the bay. These novels are the perfect beach read—even if the only beach you’ll be visiting is in your imagination!
GOING FOR IT IN NANTUCKET
The Montgomery-Taggert saga continues in Ever After, the final novel in romance legend Jude Deveraux’s wildly popular Nantucket Brides trilogy. As a physical therapist, Hallie Hartley is used to taking care of people, even at the expense of her own happiness. She has long been the guardian of her spoiled, self-centered stepsister, but Shelly has finally pushed her too far. So when Jared Montgomery arrives on her doorstep and tells her that she has inherited a mansion in Nantucket, she takes the first plane out—literally.
Part of the deal for her immediate move to Nantucket is her acceptance of a position as a live-in physical therapist for the guarded Jamie Taggert, who, she is told, was injured in a skiing accident. Hallie assumes Jamie is a spoiled trust-fund playboy, but as Hallie gets to know him, she suspects there is more than meets the eye. Jamie is plagued by horrible nightmares, and it’s obvious that his wounds go far deeper than the physical. But when the truth of Jamie’s past is finally revealed, can Hallie get over the betrayal and look toward a future together?
Both Jamie and Hallie have their guards up, but as the beautiful island of Nantucket works its magic on them, they find it hard to resist falling in love, especially when Jamie’s relatives arrive to celebrate a wedding. Throw in a pair of matchmaking ghosts, and these two really don't stand a chance against love. Filled with family, friends, ghosts and the magic of love, Ever After is sure to please longtime fans of Deveraux, as well as new readers.
LAKESIDE LOVE
RaeAnne Thayne returns to Haven Point in her latest novel, Redemption Bay. McKenzie Shaw loves her adopted hometown of Haven Point, so when she was nominated for mayor, she happily accepted the position. But the charming small town nestled in the Idaho mountains and surrounded by a pristine lake has its fair share of issues. And in McKenzie’s mind, there is one man to blame for all of them: Ben Kilpatrick.
After a privileged but unhappy childhood in Haven Point, Ben was glad to leave the small town filled with bad memories behind. But his desertion left Haven Point in the lurch; his decision to sell his family’s boatworks factory devastated the town’s economy, and by abandoning his numerous downtown properties, he’s almost single-handedly destroyed Haven Point’s tourism potential.
When Ben returns to his hometown in order to scope it out as an expansion site for his hugely profitable tech company, McKenzie is loathe to see him. But when she learns that he might be bringing new revenue to the town, she’s determined to put her best foot forward. To her immense surprise, however, she finds herself enjoying spending time with Ben. Grilling out and lounging by the lake with their dogs doesn’t feel like business—it feels like pleasure. And Ben can’t help but be charmed by the feisty young mayor. As they wrestle with their feelings toward each other and cope with deep pain from their pasts, the unlikely pair find themselves wondering if embarking on a new journey together might just be worth the risk.
FINDING SAFE HARBOR
Donna Kauffman kicks off her Brides of Blueberry Cove series with Sea Glass Sunrise. After being blindsided when her seemingly perfect boyfriend turns out to be married and expecting his first child, headstrong and high-powered D.C. attorney Hannah McCrae heads back to her coastal hometown of Blueberry Cove, Maine, for her brother’s wedding and a little solace. But on the way to her childhood home, she’s again blindsided—this time by a stop sign—and narrowly misses town contractor Calder Blue’s pickup, crashing her sports car into an old wooden sign.
Calder rushes to her aid, and after the airbag dust settles, an undeniable attraction arises between them. Calder also has family in the Cove, but this particular branch hasn't spoken to his side in generations. He’s hoping to make peace while he’s there and build the town’s new yacht club, but he’s convinced that there’s something sinister going on behind the contested project—and he’s determined to find out what. Hannah’s wounded, judicious heart doesn’t take long to warm up to Calder’s gentle pursuit, and the unlikely pair finds they have many surprising things in common, including a secret love for classic Hollywood films.
Fans of cozy small-town settings—where everybody knows your name and your business, but also has your back—will be eager to see what happens next in this bayside New England locale.
