A Woman’s Summer Reading List

I tend to get a lot of reading done this time of year. Reading a good book that can get me wrapped up in the character’s romance or wanting to solve the next mystery with them is one of my indulgences. Lately, I’ve been going to the library to get books just because I miss the feel of them in my hands and having my nose buried in them for pleasure. I decided that any one of the books I’ve read lately and am reading would be of interest for a woman’s summer reading list.

Summer Reading List

It Happened One Wedding by Julie James

This romance is about Sidney Sinclair’s attempt to avoid falling for her future brother-in-law. Sidney was terribly burned by her ex-finance’ and is avoiding commitment-phobic men. However, the sparks are just too intense for them both to ignore.

This book will keep you captivated with the hilariousness of Sidney trying to avoid her feelings.

The Greatest of These Is Love by Staci Stallings

Gabriella Treyvillion has seen her share of heartache. In fact, she is living in the middle of a whole heap of it at the moment. Torn between her love of children and all things “dreams” and a reality that is threatening to erase all of it, she is determined not to let reality win. However, reality may be too strong for love to have any chance of overcoming it.

Andrew Clark is at the top of his game as the city’s top political reporter. About to break the story that will surely propel his career and life to the next level, he is sent on a throw-away assignment to a youth center in the middle of the city’s toughest neighborhood. Although his plan is to visit, do the story, and leave as fast as possible, plans have a way of changing, and sometimes your whole life can change with them.

“And the Greatest of These is Love” gives a testament to the power of the word we take for granted so often: Love. When the Bible says that “God is love” and “love never fails” what do those truly mean against reality and real life? Inspirational and #1 Best Selling Christian author Staci Stallings explores the trials that love can face and how it can even overcome even dire hopelessness if we believe in its trust and hope, and its power to endure.

This book is a wholesome romance that moved me in ways I can’t fully put into words. Maybe it has something to do with the fact that this couple is an unlikely match. Plus, they both are working with a cause that is near and dear to my heart. I was just as interested in the outcomes of the kids’ lives in the story as I was in Gabriella and Andrew’s love story.

Suddenly One Summer by Julie James

From the New York Times bestselling author of It Happened One Wedding comes a novel about a man and a woman whose summer is about to get very, very hot… 
Divorce lawyer Victoria Slade has seen enough unhappy endings to swear off marriage forever. That doesn’t mean she’s opposed to casual dating—just not with her cocky new neighbor, who is as gorgeous and tempting as he is off-limits. But once she agrees to take on his sister’s case, she’s as determined to win as ever—even if that means teaming up with Ford….

Investigative journalist Ford Dixon is bent on finding the man who got his sister pregnant and left her high and dry. He’s willing to partner with Victoria, despite the fact that the beautiful brunette gets under his skin like no other woman. He might not be looking to settle down, but there’s no denying the scorching attraction between them. Still, the more time he spends with Victoria, the more he realizes that the one woman as skeptical about love as he is might be the only woman he could really fall for…

“If you need a great read to throw in your beach bag, make sure Suddenly One Summer is one of your choices.” –USA Today

I believe it’s safe to say I’m becoming a Julie James fan! However, this romance is about a couple who literally has fate helping their relationship bloom whether they want to admit it or not. I enjoyed reading how it all unfolded while the main characters tried to fight their feelings.

Brush of Wings: A Novel (Angels Walking) by Karen Kingsbury

From #1 New York Times bestselling author Karen Kingsbury comes the third novel in an unforgettable series about divine intervention and the trials and triumphs of life for a group of friends.

Despite needing a heart transplant and against the advice of her doctor, Mary Catherine moves to Uganda to work at a new orphanage. Whatever time she has left, Mary Catherine wants to spend it helping children—especially since there will be no children of her own. The only problem is Major League Baseball player Marcus Dillinger, the man she never meant to fall in love with. Neither Marcus nor Mary Catherine’s other friends—Tyler Ames and Sami Dawson—know just how serious her heart condition is.

Still, Marcus is sure in the depths of his soul that something isn’t right. Ultimately his correspondence with Mary Catherine leads him on a desperate life-or-death mission to rescue her and get her to a US hospital before time runs out. Meanwhile, Sami and Tyler struggle with issues of their own. In a season when Tyler plans to ask Sami to marry him, the very core of their relationship is in jeopardy.

The team of angels walking is busier than ever in this epic battle between life and death. Brush of Wings is a poignant tale of love, sacrifice, and the power of faith.

This is another Karen Kingsbury book that you won’t want to put down once you start reading it. It will warm your heart and remind you what is truly important in life.

See Me by Nicholas Sparks

Colin Hancock is giving his second chance his best shot. With a history of violence and bad decisions behind him and the threat of prison dogging his every step, he’s determined to walk a straight line. To Colin, that means applying himself single-mindedly toward his teaching degree and avoiding everything that proved destructive in his earlier life. Reminding himself daily of his hard-earned lessons, the last thing he is looking for is a serious relationship.

Maria Sanchez, the hardworking daughter of Mexican immigrants, is the picture of conventional success. With a degree from Duke Law School and a job at a prestigious firm in Wilmington, she is a dark-haired beauty with a seemingly flawless professional track record. And yet Maria has a traumatic history of her own, one that compelled her to return to her hometown and left her questioning so much of what she once believed.

A chance encounter on a rain-swept road will alter the course of both Colin and Maria’s lives, challenging deeply held assumptions about each other and ultimately, themselves. As love unexpectedly takes hold between them, they dare to envision what a future together could possibly look like . . . until menacing reminders of events in Maria’s past begin to surface.

As a series of threatening incidents wreaks chaos in Maria’s life, Maria and Colin will be tested in increasingly terrifying ways. Will demons from their past destroy the tenuous relationship they’ve begun to build, or will their love protect them, even in the darkest hour?

Rich in emotion and fueled with suspense, SEE ME reminds us that love is sometimes forged in the crises that threaten to shatter us . . . and that those who see us for who we truly are may not always be the ones easiest to recognize.

This one I haven’t read. However, I haven’t read a single Nicholas Sparks book that I haven’t devoured! I’m a VERY loyal fan of his!

What book (s) are you adding to your summer reading list?