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Popsicles, Paranoia & Page-Turners
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items When everything seems too perfect. Sun’s out, drink’s cold, the air smells like sunscreen and grilled corn… but something feels off. These books may look like summer on the surface, beach towns, lake houses, road trips, and getaways but beneath the g...
You think it's a second chance summer romance, until it isn’t. The chemistry is sizzling, sure, but there's betrayal, grief, and a slow unraveling of everything you thought was safe. It's a beautiful burn.
The Summer We Fell by Elizabeth O'Roark
A college reunion in summer. Mean girls. A secret no one talks about. And someone who remembers everything. This is for when you want your nostalgia laced with regret and revenge.
The Girls Are All So Nice Here by Laurie Elizabeth Flynn
A survival reality show goes from scripted drama to actual survival. Set in a lush forest during summer, it slowly descends into a primal, psychological nightmare. Chilling and oddly empowering.
Small Game by Blair Braverman
Four couples. A villa in the south of France. One affair too many. Secrets unravel like suntan lotion left in the sun. Fast, messy, and irreversible.
The Vacation by T. M. Logan
After a tragic death, a college student investigates what really happened to his family while visiting Mexico. Sun, mystery, and a steady descent into paranoia. Yes, it’s as addictive as it sounds.
Every Last Fear by Alex Finlay
Tropical paradise? Check. Remote island? Check. Rich strangers with secrets and no phone signal? Yep. It’s Lord of the Flies meets White Lotus with lipstick.
Reckless Girls by Rachel Hawkins
Two women with the same name, one disturbing secret from a long time ago, and a summer that forces everything into the light. A slow, simmering revenge tale with depth.
That Summer by Jennifer Weiner
A lakeside summer retreat turns into a voyeuristic spiral of obsession, ghostly twists, and “wait, what??” moments. Classic Sager: popcorny, thrilling, and full of red herrings.
The House Across the Lake by Riley Sager
A summer camp. Missing girls. A woman returns years later to face what happened and what’s still lurking in the woods. Nostalgia with a knife behind its back.
Last Time I Lied by Riley Sager
A road trip in the countryside during summer. But the air feels… wrong. This is cerebral horror off-kilter, unsettling, and impossible to shake off. You’ll feel like something’s watching you.
I'm Thinking of Ending Things by Iain Reid
A man searches for a missing author and stumbles into an isolated forest community. It’s rustic, eerie, and thick with summer foliage and cult-ish tension.
A History of Wild Places by Shea Ernshaw
Three suburban moms fall under the spell of a handsome stranger. A sultry Texan summer, petty gossip, twisted obsession. This is dark domestic noir with a beach-read face.
My Summer Darlings by May Cobb
Set in a New Jersey beach town, this is about two sisters navigating the slowmo loss of their father. The sun shines, tourists laugh, but grief quietly drowns beneath it all.
The Shore by Katie Runde
A small-town summer party in the woods ends in a disappearance. Religion, repression, and secrets pulse beneath the surface. Atmospheric and emotionally sharp.
Where the Truth Lies by Anna Bailey
Best friends. A backpacking trip gone wrong. A dead body. Then another. Trust twists like a knife in this slow-burn thriller set under scorching skies.
We Were Never Here by Andrea Bartz
One summer day, a woman cheats on her husband at the family lake house and the story slowly reveals why. Lush prose, dark trauma, and morally murky waters.
The Paper Palace by Miranda Cowley Heller