My favorite books to read while sipping a piña colada

I love all of Taylor Jenkin Reid’s books, but Malibu Rising is my favorite. The novel follows the complex history of four close-knit siblings and explores their relationships from each perspective. Although the story is set against the backdrop of a single twenty-four-hour period, the storytelling spans multiple decades, switching seamlessly between past and present. Additionally, Reid draws loosely on characters from her other books in a clever way that makes readers of her other works feel like they are in on the secret.

Something Blue has some of the best possible ingredients for a great women’s fiction novel—forgiveness, personal transformation, friendship that blossoms into more, and the icing on the cake is that it’s set in London! The book focuses primarily on Darcy, who finds herself alone and friendless for the first time in her life. She’s not particularly likable at the beginning of the novel. Still, Giffin does an excellent job of making the reader connect with Darcy, invest in her transformation, and root for a happy ending. Although I don’t have much in common with Darcy, her experiences with pregnancy and childbirth in London caused me to reminisce about my own time living in London and the birth of my first child there. Due to the beautiful descriptions of the setting and the subject matter, it was like a walk down memory lane when I read Something Blue. 

The Blue Bistro is one of Hilderbrand’s earlier books, and like almost all of her work, it is set on the island of Nantucket. I thoroughly enjoy reading all of Hilderbrand’s novels because of the incredible imagery she uses to describe the settings. I feel like I know the beaches, restaurants, hotels, and streets of Nantucket from reading her books almost better than I could from vacationing there. The Blue Bistro is especially compelling because it is set in a unique upscale restaurant and weaves distressing personal drama with mouthwatering menu descriptions. If you like good food and good gossip, you’ll love The Blue Bistro.

The two main characters in Who Do You Love stayed with me long after I read this book, and I’ve found them popping into my thoughts again and again over the years – a sure sign of well-written characters. It’s the story of two people who come in and out of each other’s lives and how their love changes and evolves over time. Full of joy, heartbreak, hope, and loss, this love story will draw you in and stick with you.

I heard a lot of buzz shortly after this book was published and was eager to see what it was all about, and The Guncle surpassed the hype! This book tells the story of an uncle who goes from being unencumbered to being the guardian of his young niece and nephew when a family tragedy strikes. Although he adores his brother’s children, he is used to spending time with them in small, measured doses as the “fun uncle,” not for an extended period of time and certainly not in any role where he has to provide care and set boundaries. The Guncle is a heartwarming story of family relationships, personal growth, and the power of love.