Mini Reviews: Beach Reads with Memorable Settings

 

There's nothing like a beach read with a setting that is beautiful, glamorous, and, of course, memorable. That's immediately what I thought when I read that The May House is set on Coronado Island, set across from the bay from downtown San Diego. Who wouldn't want to spend a glorious week there? And then, of course, there's Nantucket, the setting of Worse Than Strangers. It's where everyone's favorite beach read always seems to take place.

 

The May House by Jillian Cantor

Pages: 368

Genre: Adult Fiction/Beach Read

Publisher: Atria

Source: Publisher for review

My Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars

 

 

Goodreads says, "No matter what’s going on in the May sisters’ lives, the one thing they can rely upon is seeing each other for one week each year, while staying at their grandmother’s beachside home in gorgeous Coronado. As adults, Julia, Emily, and Nora aren’t particularly close, spread out across the country and busy with careers, relationships, and the minutia of life, but their promise to Grandma Vera keeps them anchored together, if only for one week every May.

One year Julia, the oldest and most dependable sister, doesn’t show. And suddenly Nora and Emily start to question how much they truly know about their sister’s life. Told in alternating points of view, spanning from their time together with Grandma Vera as kids into their adult lives, The May House explores how a decades-long family secret has unknowingly shaped each sister and, ultimately, how it brings them closer together.

Funny, poignant, and brimming with heart, The May House is an irresistible story about the special bond between sisters and figuring out what matters most in life, in all its ups and downs.

 

The May sisters have inherited a beach house from their Grandmother on beautiful Coronado Island. They have been going there for a week in May ever since they were little, and they always promised their grandmother they would return every year. Now the sisters are adults and dealing with real-world issues, finding it hard to carve out time to come back. However, despite their obstacles, all three sisters have met each year for a week of bonding by the sea. Except this year, Julia, the eldest sister, doesn't come and is nowhere to be found. This leaves Emily and Nora confused, as their older sister has always been dependable. How well do they know her? The May House by Jillian Cantor is a solid beach read with a gorgeous California setting, perfect for fans of stories involving sisterhood and family drama.
 
The three May sisters don't have much in common except for their beach house, as they don't actively participate in each other's adult lives. Their bond is rooted in their Grandmother Vera, who has helped care for them since their mother's death. The story unfolds through the various points of view of the sisters, along with flashbacks to past summers, providing readers with deeper insights into the May sisters' backstories. A common thread among the sisters is their next-door neighbor, Nate, who is Julia's former boyfriend and Nora's long-time crush. There is also a secret box of letters that Grandma Vera keeps hidden, which threatens to reveal some family secrets. The May House offers a charming beach read, and having just visited Coronado made the experience even more enjoyable.
 

 

 

 

 

Worse Than Strangers by Kyleigh Leddy 

Pages: 320

Genre: Romance/Beach Read

Pub. Date: June 23, 2026

Publisher: Gallery

Source: Personal Copy

My Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

 

 

Goodreads says, "A debut novel for fans of Jane Austen, Elin Hilderbrand, and Gilmore Girls, Worse Than Strangers is a Nantucket-set retelling of Austen’s Persuasion about finding romance, second chances, and a new path in life.

Rose and Lily are best friends first, mother-daughter second, which is good because right now, Lily could really use a friend. Recently fired from her NYC magazine job and heartbroken, Lily has fled to the family cottage in Siasconset. She is shocked when she stumbles across her first love at the grocery store holding hands with his new fiancé—a fiancé he never mentioned on their many, many late-night phone calls.

Rose has secrets, too. A therapist about to start her own private practice, Rose’s world is rocked by the handsome renter staying in their guest cottage, Thomas Wentworth: the one person she thought she would never see again and the man who has always (unfortunately) held her heart.

A modern retelling of Jane Austen’s Persuasion set against a backdrop of blue and purple hydrangeas, swollen brick sidewalks, tall sea grass, and uniform, shingled houses, Lily and Rose Gardner’s summer journey of second chances, healing, and hope begs the question: Can you repeat the past, and is it ever too late to try again?"

 

Rose and Lily are a mother-daughter duo similar to The Gilmore Girls. Rose is a beautiful single mother and therapist, and Lily is making her way in the world in NYC, but they are still as close as ever. Unfortunately, Lily gets fired from her job in NYC and returns home with her tail between her legs to her mother's cottage on Nantucket. This cottage holds a special place in her heart as it was her beloved great-aunt's cottage and she spent many summers there. Upon her arrival on the small island, she runs into her first love and former boyfriend, Henry, at the grocery store holding hands with his new fiancée. This shocks Lily as they had just spoken not too long ago and he never mentioned her. Lily and Henry never really had a clean break, so this hits her hard. She is set for a summer of rebuilding her life when her mother rents out the other cottage next door and finds out it's been rented to Thomas Wentworth, a man who played an important role in Rose's life. This is proving to be a complicated summer for Rose and Lily, filled with second chances and finding their way. Kyleigh Leddy's Worse Than Strangers is a wonderful retelling of Jane Austen's Persuasion and makes for a delightful beach read.
 
First and foremost, Persuasion is my favorite of Austen's novels, so I couldn't wait to dive into a modern retelling. I enjoyed every aspect of this novel, especially how each chapter was presented from the perspectives of Lily and Rose, along with a few chapters from their beloved aunt, Lottie. Leddy also did a fantastic job of bringing Nantucket to life; she truly conveyed a strong sense of place. It was clear that she spent a lot of time there, and I appreciated the vivid details about the gardens, restaurants, beaches, and more. While Leddy addressed some difficult topics, such as cancer and addiction, she managed to keep the narrative light, ensuring it never felt overly heavy. The arrival of extra family members at the cottage added humor to the story while maintaining a strong focus on rebuilding their lives and mending past relationships. I thoroughly enjoyed the debut novel Worse Than Strangers and can't wait to see what Leddy writes next.
 
Have you read either The May House or Worse Than Strangers? Let me know your thoughts in the comments below.