Beach Reads: Female Friendships

Summer is FINALLY here and it's time to hit the sandy beaches with an ice cold drink and a good read. Enjoy these books centering around female friendships set against the beautiful beaches of the East Coast.

Maine by J. Courtney Sullivan chronicles the lives and loves of three generations of Kelleher women as they spend the summer at the family's beachfront home in Maine. The matriarch of the family is a beautiful, bitter woman who harbors a secret from her past that has altered her life forever. Her complex relationships with her daughters, daughter-in-law and grand-daughter makes for a great read.

Beautiful Day by Elin Hilderbrand is the story of Jenna Campbell and Stuart Graham's idyllic wedding on Nantucket. The bride's mother has passed away and left a notebook for her daughter, full of specific instructions for every detail of the wedding. This notebook is a source of much joy but also much angst as the couple prepares to take their vows. This book explores all the time and effort that goes into planning a wedding and how it can all go up in smoke in the blink of an eye.

Moon Shell Beach by Nancy Thayer is chick lit at its finest. Lexi and Clare, best friends since childhood, grew up together on picturesque Nantucket island. They shared all their secrets and dreams for their future at their private refuge, Moon Shell Beach. As the girls mature, their friendship is tested and Lexi moves away, leaving Clare angry and resentful. Fast forward 10 years as Lexi returns to Nantucket to try and salvage her relationship with Clare.