My Summer Reading Challenge

Summer is the time to catch up on your reading … or your friends. But hey, books are friends too, right?

I don’t know about you, but I’m kinda behind my Goodreads Reading Challenge (47% completed to be exact) so hopefully this year, by doing a summer reading challenge, it will inspire me to read more books (because clearly the mountain of books in my room isn’t threatening enough).

So for this TBR (To-Be-Read), I invite you to read books that remind you of summer. Maybe the book takes place on the beach, or maybe the protagonist goes on a summer vacation. Maybe there’s a book you want to read while lounging by the poolside, or a book you want to read while sitting in the car on the way to the cottage … or on the plane to a super hot destination!

Whatever the case is, I want to read as much as possible, and if you’re a reader, you probably want to do the same. And what better way to finish some books in the summer by reading books about summer?!

Here’s my summer TBR:

My goal is to read 8 books, at least one book a week for the next two months.

The first five books I want to read is part of the Sea Breeze Collection by Abbi Glines. I told myself that whenever I read these books, no matter what, it had to be in summer.

I mean, look at these sexy covers!!! If this doesn’t scream hot like summer, I don’t know what does.

To me, these books look like the kind of trashy romance (I say this in a positive way) stories you read on the beach, while searching for your own summer romance. They could be super cheesy and cliched but it’s so addicting that you can’t put it down … kind of like reality TV.

Also, I don’t know about you guys, but for any Bachelor in Paradise fans, these books kind of remind me of the show. Plus, the next season is a month away so of course I’m going to be reading these in the meantime!

The first five books in the Sea Breeze Collection are called Breathe, Because Of Low, While It Lasts, Just For Now and Sometimes It Lasts.

I’m going to summarize each book for you, and I will also link the Goodreads pages to all the books mentioned here so you can do your own research.

Also, please take the time to read my Sea Breeze summaries in a dramatic voice. The summaries on the back of these books sound quite dramatic already so I wanted to create my own condensed version of it (as well as throw in some cheesy puns, song lyrics and a Chris Harrison cameo because why not?).

Breathe by Abbi Glines

Sadie is a teenage girl who’s working a summer job as a maid for none other than super hot teen rock star, Jax Stone. All it takes is one look at Sadie and he’s already falling for her … but he fights his feelings because a girl like her would never fall for a guy like him. Besides, he believes she deserves someone better, like Sadie’s coworker who seems to be crushing on her too.

But what happens if Jax gets too close to Sadie and he can’t seem to catch his breath?

Poor Jax might have to learn to just keep breathin’ and breathin’ and breathin’ and breathin’….

Because Of Low by Abbi Glines

Marcus Hardy is forced to return back to his hometown of Sea Breeze, Alabama after a family issue pops up. But things get better (or worse) while he rooms with Cage York, a playboy who invites an endless amount of hot girls over, because that’s where he meets Cage’s best friend, Willow.

Now this is where things get worse, because Willow is off-limits. Cage plans to marry her but Marcus can’t stop his feelings for Low. This story promises that things get complicated and messy … all because of Low.

Ooh, look what you made them do.

While It Lasts by Abbi Glines

This book summary actually spoils one of the previous books mentioned so I’m just going to say that it’s about one of the characters previously mentioned and their dramatic journey on finding love (in Chris Harrison’s voice).

Stay tuned to find out who gets the final rose–and if this relationship will last ….

Just For Now by Abbi Glines

Amanda’s crushing on the big bad wolf, Preston, and as luck would have it, Preston’s been preying on his innocent little red riding hood: Amanda. But now that their paths have crossed, people want them to go their separate ways!

Amanda certainly won’t let go–can’t let go–of her star-crossed lover. She wants to uncover Preston’s secrets about his bad reputation … even if the truth might scare her and her little red hood off.

What can I tell you? These lovers got that love, the crazy kind. She is his and he is hers. In the end it’s him and her … or is it just for now?

Sometimes It Lasts by Abbi Glines

Again, this book summary contains spoilers to previous novels mentioned so all I’m going to say is that two characters go the distance and one of them feels the need to prove that they belong together when the other one seems to have found a friendly acquaintance ….

Oh, if only they knew the saying: If it’s meant to be, it’ll be, it’ll be, Baby, just let it be.

But hey, sometimes it lasts … sometimes it doesn’t. Sometimes someone has an excuse to sing their heart out to their favourite angsty break-up songs and dance like no one is watching.

The next three books on my list are in the Summer trilogy by Jenny Han: The Summer I Turned Pretty, It’s Not Summer Without You and We’ll Always Have Summer.

Granted, the book titles do have the word ‘summer’ in it, so it only made sense to add them. And, as you probably can tell by now, I’m such a sucker for romance. Especially in the summer.

I’m only going to summarize the first book in the series to spare myself and you guys from any spoilers. It’s safe to assume that the next two books are the continuation to whatever happens in the first one anyways.

The Summer I Turned Pretty by Jenny Han

This book is about a girl named Belly who spends her summer at Cousins Beach. It’s her favourite place to be, probably because she gets to see Conrad and Jeremiah … but mostly Conrad. Conrad has been Belly’s crush since forever and she’s hoping this summer will be the moment he falls for her too.

But what happens when other boys come into her life too? Belly seems to know who she belongs with, but who belongs with Belly?

It’s Not Summer Without You by Jenny Han

This is the second book to the Summer trilogy.

We’ll Always Have Summer by Jenny Han

This is the third and final book in the Summer trilogy.

If you want a book review on any of these books, let me know in the comments and I’ll provide one. I will try to do one anyways but if there’s one book in particular, I will make it a first priority.

What books are you reading this summer? What are you currently reading? What is your Goodreads challenge looking like so far (if you have one). Let me know in the comments below, I would love to hear from you and your book interests!

(Currently, I finished Breathe and just started Because of Low)

(2020 UPDATE: So I finished reading the first five books in the Sea Breeze collection PLUS I managed to buy the next book, Misbehaving by Abbi Glines, and I read that too. I’ve decided to postpone The Summer I Turned Pretty trilogy for next summer!)

Happy Summer Reading!