9 Summer Reads That Sizzle

Posted June 16, 2025 by Prairie Wife -

It’s Summer, and hopefully, that means you’ll have a bit more time to read! Below is a list of 9 Summer reads that sizzle—a fabulous book review list with a little something for everyone!

Remember, if you love to listen to books, download Libro.fm. It works like Audible, but you can choose a local bookstore to receive the profits.

9 Summer Reads That Sizzle

Behind Every Good Man by Sara Goodman Confino

This book was absolutely delightful! It’s a novel that I felt struck a chord with me as a woman of 2025, despite it taking place in 1962. Beverly Diamond lives a fairy tale life in Washington DC, with strong political connections, friends, and family close by, and plenty of money! It all fell apart when she caught her husband cheating on her with his secretary. Beverly goes from SAHM to campaign manager for a rival of her husband. This is an excellent novel with plenty of enjoyable characters and a plot that, while slightly predictable, is still incredibly enjoyable.

The Summer She Went Missing by Chelsea Ichaso

This twisty thriller is written for Young Adults, but I have to be honest, I couldn’t figure out the ending as a 43-year-old! Paige Redmond and her family have always spent their summers in Clearwater Ridge with Audrey Covington’s (Paige’s best friend) wealthy family. Last year, Audrey didn’t seem quite like herself, and one night, she didn’t come home. And she wasn’t the first girl to disappear from the area. Dylan (Audrey’s older brother) and Paige set out to reignite the cold case, and find Audrey once and for all. Nothing too crazy in this thriller, but it was a book I had to keep reading until I learned the truth!

The Griffin Sisters’ Greatest Hits by Jennifer Weiner

Let’s be real…you know a book by Jennifer Weiner is going to be the perfect novel. Strong female characters with enough chaos to make them relatable. Heartbreaking plot twists and an ending full of hope. This book will not disappoint her fans. Cassie and Zoe Grossberg were The Griffin Sisters, THE pop duo that defined the early 2000s. Cassie was the musical genius who never felt comfortable in the spotlight. Zoe, her sister, loves all the attention but lacks the talent. After only a year, the band breaks up, and Cassie disappears. Twenty years later, Zoe’s daughter Cherry wants her turn in the musical spotlight. The book bounces back and forth between the sisters and their versions of the past and the future Cherry is trying to create. This novel was definitely in my top 3 of the books on this list.

The Book of Doors by Gareth Brown

This book took me a little bit to get into, but it was worth the time, and I’m so glad I stuck with it. This fantasy novel with thriller-like undertones is about the battle between good and evil, and how the desire for power can turn anyone evil. Cassie works in a NYC bookstore, and when her favorite customer passes away, she’s left with only the last book he was reading to remember him by. “The Book of Doors” leads her to learn of an unknown reality where Special Books allow their owners to modify the world around them. The forces of good try and protect the world by collecting books and keeping them hidden in a Secret Library…but the forces of evil are willing to stop at nothing to get the power they crave. While Cassie is a reluctant hero, her character is incredibly well written!

This American Woman by Zarna Garg

I have seen many of Zarna Garg’s TikTok Videos and love them, so when I saw she wrote a book, I knew I had to buy it. I listened to it, which I think made it even better. Even Cowgirl G and The Cowboy enjoyed listening along with me and found it entertaining! Zarna grew up in India, the daughter of a wealthy father. But when he tried to marry her off at 14, she fled to the streets, and then to America to live with her sister. Even if you can’t appreciate all of Zara’s cultural references, you will be enthralled by her vibrant storytelling and hilarious jabs at her own quirks. I found this book as inspiring as it was funny!

Poma Afton Can So Solve A Murder by Bellamy Rose

This lighthearted mystery novel was exactly what I needed when I purchased it. A fun read that would entertain me without making me use my brain too much. Pomona Afton is an Upper East Side hotel heiress who finds her Grandmother dead in her Penthouse. Because of a recently written will, all the family assets are frozen and remain frozen until the murder is solved. From living a life full of designer clothing, a private chef, and all the money anyone could ever need…to living with a roommate and working as a barista…Pomona is desperate to solve the mystery. Add some eccentric characters and the gorgeous and brooding Gabe, and you have everything you need for a great beach read!

The Three Lives of Cate Kay by Kate Fagan

If you could disappear, would you? Cate Kay is the author of a bestselling dystopian book series, except Cate Kay isn’t her real name. This story centers around childhood best friends Amanda and “Cate,” but when tragedy strikes, Amanda is left behind and “Cate” runs away from everything she knows. What follows is a story of strength and trauma, love and loss, and a tangled web of lies and honest mistakes. I would love to see this book made into a movie; there are so many well-written characters that I’d love to see come alive on the screen!

The Dead Romantics by Ashley Poston

Florance Day is a ghostwriter for one of the best Romance Authors in the industry. She doesn’t mind being the one behind the scenes; she was just happy to escape her small-town childhood as the daughter of the mortician, who can talk to ghosts. Her happy life begins to crumble when, after a nasty breakup, she finds herself unable to write the ending to her latest book. It doesn’t help that she has a new editor who is breathing down her neck. When she’s forced to go back home, things take a turn for the worse, and she realizes that maybe it’s time to embrace who she is and move on from what she always thought she wanted to be.

An Almost Perfect Summer by Jill Mansell

Jill Mansell is one of my favorite authors. I’ve read a ton of her books, but this one may be my favorite! Nella loves living in London, but unexpectedly, she finds herself out of work and back home at the large estate surrounding her small town. Her new boss Nick is fantastic…but maybe a bit too wonderful for her to be comfortable. Add to this story a few more, including Lizzie the movie star, who’s just trying to find some privacy, and several eccentric townspeople with their own drama. It’s a book that had me giggling out loud as I read, and like all of Mansell’s books, it has a perfectly satisfactory happy ending for all the characters you’ve come to care about.

Bonus Mentions (aka Other Entertaining Things I Love That Aren’t Books)

We Were All Rooting For You (Audible Original) by Franchesca Ramsey If you loved America’s Next Top Model, you’ll adore this tell-all Audible Original. I took turns gasping and laughing the entire time I listened to it!

Parked Car Convos (Podcast) I am likely 20 years older than the intended audience for this podcast, but what can I say…it’s my favorite! Each episode has a different theme, and Maddy Mitchell (the host/creator) ensures that she always puts her own hilarious spin on everything she shares.

Brit Cunningham (TikTok) @brit_cunningham Maybe it’s her New Zealand accent, maybe it’s her fabulous taste, or perhaps it’s her biting, dry sense of humor—whatever it is, I love it. Brit is one of my favorite creators to follow on TikTok. And yes, I totally understand the irony of sitting watching her clean her home and chat with me when I myself should be cleaning.

Secret Lives of Mormon Wives (Hulu)

Yes. I am fully aware that this is 100% PURE TRASH television. Yes, none of the genuine Mormons I know and love act like this (though some I know but am not friends with have some alarmingly similar character traits). But I refuse to skip this show. It’s so damn good, and I want to say FOR THE RECORD, I knew about MomTok before it was cool.

I also recommend our April and March Prairie Wife Virtual Book Club Picks!

Do you have your own suggestions? Please leave them below!

Categories: Book Reviews, Reviews

Tags: , beach reads, behind every good woman, Book Reviews, books, books for summer, chick lit, indie books, Jennifer Weiner, jill mansell, pamona afton, the book of doors, the dead romantics, the summer she went missing, The three lives of Cate Kay, this american woman