8 Sizzling Summer Reads That Will Hook You From The First Line

There’s never a better time to read a good book than when the weather’s warm, you can catch some sun and get engrossed in the lives of fictional characters. Whether you’re jetting off to one of our undiscovered destinations or just sitting cross-legged in a park somewhere, these books will ignite a summer romance with reading!

Wreckage by Emily Bleeker

Lillian is a liar. After a plane crash leaves her stranded on a deserted island, she must learn to survive and bury her old self deep in the sand, but when she’s rescued she realises that her survival in the real world depends entirely on lies.
CGD says: This is a brilliant, tragic and moving story about a woman and a man, love, romance, family and survival. Sometimes lies are necessary to spare the people you love.

The Girl on the train by Paula Hawkins

Every morning Rachel takes the same commuter train, watching a row of houses intently as she passes to see familiar people she’s named ‘Jess and Jason’ play out their happy lives. When ‘Jess’ goes missing, Rachel knows she’s the only one that can help piece together what happened. But unfortunately for Rachel, interfering only makes things worse, and the truth about ‘Jess’s’ disappearance is much closer to home than she thought.
CGD says: If you liked Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn, you’ll love this. A thrilling, domestic crime book that deals with loneliness, addiction and the fragility of the domestic sphere. The grass isn’t always greener, as Rachel finds out.

The Rosie Project by Graeme Simsion

Don Tillman is a thirty-nine-year-old geneticist who’s obsessed with order and has never had a second date. He creates a scientific test to find the perfect wife and is certain that he will succeed. When ‘the world’s most incompatible woman’, Rosie, bursts into his life, he starts to realise that chaos cannot be controlled and the course of true love ne’er did run smooth!
CGD says: This book is funny, sweet and touching. It hits all the right notes for a great summer read, and now has a follow-up book The Rosie Effect, so you can get a second dose of Don and Rosie before the holiday’s up!

Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier

Rebecca is the dead wife of Maxim de Winter. Gone, but certainly not forgotten, she haunts the halls of Manderley and refuses to let Maxim and his acquaintances struggle free from her devastating grip. Only when a naive young girl replaces Rebecca as Maxim’s wife do the secrets of Rebecca’s disappearance finally start to surface.
CGD says: The original Gothic, Rebecca has ghosts, murder, mystery and a delightfully big house. Not forgetting the broody and handsome Maxim and the terrifying housekeeper Mrs Danvers. A classic read that you won’t want to put down. 

We Were Liars by E.Lockhart

Cadence Sinclair belongs to a very wealthy family. Every summer they all come together and enjoy themselves, ignoring all the issues and tensions that arise from inheriting wealth. One summer, Cadence wakes up on the shore with no memory of how she got there. She knows something terrible happened to her and she knows she has to find out what it was, and just who did it, before it’s too late.
CGD says: Young adult fiction is doing quite well amongst an adult crowd these days, and We Were Liars reminds us why. It’s a poignant and sweet coming of age story, with all the sadness, romance and family drama you’d need. If you’re looking for something sad, sweet and soulful you’ve found it!

Elizabeth is Missing by Emma Healey

Maud’s forgetting things. She buys things she already has and leaves cups of tea to go stale on the side. She has to write notes to remember even the little things, but there’s one note she can’t seem to forget. ‘Elizabeth is missing’, it reads. She needs to find out what happened to her friend Elizabeth and what it has to do with the unsolved disappearance of her sister Sukey.
CGD says: A mystery like no other, Maud is so real and vibrant that she’ll touch your heart and definitely won’t be forgotten. It’s poignant, sad and funny and will leave you thinking about age and the human mind for weeks to follow.

Not That Kind Of Girl by Lena Dunham

Lena Dunham wrote, directed and starred in a multi award winning movie at the age of 23 and then went on to write, direct and star in hit TV series ‘Girls’. You may have also seen her in Scandal recently, but that’s not the point. Lena shares her experiences, wisdom and life lessons with you, in the form of memoir, emails and collected essays. This book is smart, sassy and a little bit sexy.
CGD says: This book was controversial when it first appeared on bookshelves, but Lena’s writing style, coupled with the ability to write truthfully and clearly about both her good and bad experiences in life, is insightful, entertaining and relatable.

Finding Audrey by Sophie Kinsella

Audrey is confined to her house. She can’t even take off her dark glasses until her brother’s friend Linus appears. He tempts Audrey out of confinement and teaches her that everything she was so afraid of actually isn’t that bad. Soon Audrey finds out that even when you’ve lost yourself, you can still find love.
CGD says: Sophie Kinsella is the queen of romance novels, and where would this list be without one? This title is due to be released on the 4th June, just in time for summer, and is guaranteed to warm your heart if romance is what you desire.

What are your favourite summer reads? Share them with us and don’t forget to enter our fab Dior giveaway to bag yourself a pair of sexy summer sunglasses!