If you’re anything like me, you’ve likely dreamt of starting over in a small coastal town, leading a fulfilling yet modest life by the sea. Unfortunately, I’ve had quite a few reality checks when checking the price of apartments in said beach towns…
So, when the dream seems a bit too out of touch for me, I like to turn to fiction. Countless novels are set in picturesque small coastal towns, painting magical scenes for me to live vicariously through the characters.
Looking for a similar read? Here are three books that feel like starting over in a coastal town.
1. Little Beach Street Bakery by Jenny Colgan
Little Beach Street Bakery by Jenny Colgan brings to life a dream many of us share: to leave the hustle and bustle of our everyday routines to open a bakery in a small coastal town. (Just me?)
The novel follows Polly Waterford, a woman who is recovering from a toxic relationship. Forced to move out of her expensive city apartment, she flees to a sleepy yet affordable seaside resort in Cornwall, renting the space above an abandoned shop.
In an attempt to release her frustrations and distract herself from her problems, Polly begins to bake homemade bread, using local ingredients like honey from a remote beekeeper, Huckle. But what starts as a hobby and distraction for Polly might just turn into a lucrative career, opening doors she never dared to walk through before.
As the synopsis states: “Sometimes, bread really is life…And Polly is about to reclaim hers.”
2. August and Everything After by Jennifer Salvato Doktorski
August and Everything After by Jennifer Salvato Doktorski is a beautifully written book that explores delicate topics such as addiction, grief, love, and loss.
The story follows Quinn, a troubled teenager who escapes to her aunt’s house on the Jersey shore, seeking a fresh start. Still reeling from her dark past and haunting mistakes, Quinn dodges her loved ones’ questions about her future.
In fact, “She doesn’t even think she deserves one—not after her best friend died in a car accident that Quinn feels responsible for,” the synopsis reads. “But when Quinn meets Malcolm, a musician who has been trying to escape his own demons, she starts to believe in second chances.”
August and Everything After is both a heartbreaking and healing story about the power of connection and the danger of codependency. The characters are so deeply human that you can’t help but empathize with and root for each of them.
3. Beach Read by Emily Henry
If you’re looking for a romance novel on this list, Beach Read by Emily Henry is the perfect choice for you. This book follows two writers who couldn’t be more different: January Andrews writes hopeful love stories with fairytale endings, while Augustus Everett pens complex, somewhat morbid literary fiction.
However, against all odds, both writers end up summering in the same coastal town, attempting to break their writer’s block. At first, their differences are palpable. However, in an attempt to leave their respective ruts, they eventually form a mutually beneficial, summer-long writing challenge.
“Augustus will spend the summer writing something happy, and January will pen the next Great American Novel,” the synopsis reads. “She’ll take him on field trips worthy of any rom-com montage, and he’ll take her to interview surviving members of a backwoods death cult (obviously). Everyone will finish a book, and no one will fall in love. Really.”
Mhmm…
Beach Read really is the ideal “beach read,” reminding readers that it’s never too late to start over. Sometimes, all you need is a change of scenery and a shift in perspective.
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