I just returned from sunny Spain where I spent my days laying on the beach with a cold sangría in one hand and the perfect beach book in the other. I know some of you are now preparing to travel in September when there are less tourists, so I decided to share the list of books I took with me on my vacation in case you need some ideas.
Ayesha at Last by Uzma Jalaluddin
Ayesha and Khalid are total opposites. Ayesha is a free spirit who dreams of becoming a poet and works as a teacher to pay off her debts to her uncle. Her family would like for her to get married and they are constantly reminding her that her cousin has already rejected about a hundred proposals, but Ayesha has other plans and the last thing on her mind is an arranged marriage. Khalid was raised more traditionally by his mother who believes: first comes marriage, then comes love. He is a spiritual man who, just like Ayesha, has set his own path for himself and does not want to be derailed by love. He has a good job and a good group of friends, but when he moves into Ayesha’s neighborhood the unavoidable happens, they meet <3
Symptoms of Heartbreak by Sona Charaiporta
Saira is a sixteen-year-old medical prodigy fresh out of med-school and she now works in the same hospital as her mom. Being sixteen in such a profession is not easy for her as she has to make important decisions every day while being challenged by her adult coworkers. She is determined to prove herself to everyone but then an unexpected variable is thrown into the equation: she starts falling in love with a teen boy who is a patient and has been diagnosed with cancer. Will Saira risk her career to try and improve his chances?
Breathe in Cash Out by Madeleine Henry
Allegra’s father has coached her for victory and made of her an overachiever. She was a straight-A student at Princeton and now she is in her 20’s and a Financial Analyst in Wall Street banking. Sure, she makes good money, but her daily routine is nothing short of hellish; she has an insane amount of daily work and is basically on call 24/7. But Allegra has a dream — and a plan! She will wait to receive her year-end bonus and then open a yoga studio by the beach. This, however, won’t be easy because she sleeps with a hot guy from her yoga class and then finds out said hottie is also her new boss on a major deal. And just in case things weren’t complicated enough, she also meets Skylar, one of her Yoga idols who wants to help her focus more on herself, but the relaxed lifestyle he preaches doesn’t match her fast paced business life. As the end of the year approaches, Allegra becomes more confused about which path she should take.
These last two books are the ones I read while on vacation and I cannot recommend them enough. They are both realistic, unpredictable, completely delightful, and full of funny banter. They both gave me some serious case of donkey laugh (in public)!
Don’t You Forget About Me by Mhairi McFarlane
In one single day, everything changes for Georgina. She loses her job at an Italian joint where they serve horrible food, she catches her boyfriend having sex with one of his colleagues, and she accepts the first job opportunity that comes her way. The following day, when she arrives at her new place of work, Georgina discovers one of the Pub owners is none other than the first love of her life, Lucas, who is also drop dead gorgeous. With her past now making an entrance into her present, Georgina is forced to confront what happened so many years ago in high school.
The Unhoneymooners by Christina Lauren
Olive and Annie are twin sisters. While Annie always gets what she wants and is obsessed with getting deals and all sorts of free stuff, Olive seems to be extremely unlucky. Now Annie is getting married and Olive can’t stand the brother of the groom, Ethan. It requires a great deal of effort from her part to be around him. On the day of the wedding, everyone gets ciguatera from the shellfish — everyone except two people. Can you guess who? Now there is an all-expenses paid trip that simply cannot go to waste. For the trip to stay cost-free Ethan and Olive must pretend to be honeymooners, but once they bump into Olive’s future boss the little white lie turns into something bigger.
If you didn’t know what to read this summer, I hope this list of books inspired you.
Happy reading!