Reading Ahead: May 2015, part 4

Beach reads are usually defined as any book (usually fiction) which is engaging and a quick enough read that you can finish most of it before your sunscreen wears off. Beach reading isn't necessarily literature, but it will entertain. With the days getting longer and the temperatures warming up, I don't think it's too soon to start planning my list of beach reads, and the publishers definitely feel the same way! Here are a few on the lighter, fluffier side to consider for your beach reading pleasure this summer.

Double Down, by Fern Michaels. Three connected novellas, The Men of the Sisterhood, are now in print together for the first time, prominently featuring the male characters from Michaels's bestselling Sisterhood series. After years of standing by their women, the Sisterhood’s significant others have also become loyal friends. And now Jack Emery, Nikki’s husband, has enlisted Ted, Joe, Jay, Bert, Dennis, and Abner to form a top-secret organization known as BOLO Consultants. Jack has two missions in mind. The first: offering some behind-the-scenes help to Nikki’s law firm as they take on the all-powerful Andover Pharmaceuticals. Andover’s anti-leukemia drug causes terrible side effects in young patients, but a class-action suit seems doomed to fail. BOLO Consultants have a prescription to cure that. Meanwhile, Virginia’s lieutenant governor has a sideline as a slum landlord, and his impoverished tenants are suffering. But when the Sisterhood and their allies decide to get involved, no one is beyond the reach of true justice… Each novella can easily be finished in an afternoon--perfect beach reading.

Beach Town, by Mary Kay Andrews. Greer Hennessy is a struggling movie location scout. Her last location shoot ended in disaster when a film crew destroyed property on an avocado grove. And Greer ended up with the blame. Now Greer has been given one more chance--a shot at finding the perfect undiscovered beach town for a big budget movie. She zeroes in on a sleepy Florida panhandle town. There's one motel, a marina, a long stretch of pristine beach and an old fishing pier with a community casino--which will be perfect for the film's climax--when the bad guys blow it up in an all-out assault on the townspeople. The only thing standing in her way is the town's environmentally-conscious mayor. What could possibly go wrong? Andrews is known for witty dialogue and charming characters, making this a great choice for easy reading this summer.

The Guest Cottage, by Nancy Thayer. Best-laid plans run awry when sensible single-mom Sophie and grieving widower Trevor realize they’ve mistakenly rented the same Nantucket beach house. Still, determined to make this a summer their kids will always remember, the two agree to share the house. But as the summer unfolds and the families grow close, Sophie and Trevor must ask themselves if the guest cottage is all they want to share. Nothing like a heart-warming romance, and Thayer is known for them.

I'm back next week with some special picks for May fiction titles. Happy reading!