Play 2026 Book Bingo
Books Set on Lakes and at Lake Houses
By: Angela & Melissa
Updated:
As an Amazon Associate and member of other affiliate programs, we may earn a referral fee from qualifying purchases.Whether you’re looking for the perfect summer read to take along on a trip to the lake, or you want to live the lake life from the comfort of home, we’ve got you covered!
We’ve put together a list of some of the best lakeside novels across a variety of genres. But if you already know that you want a book that will give you goosebumps, make sure also to check out our list of thrilling lakeside mystery books.
Fiction Books Set On a Lake
Just for the Summer
Book Girls’ Readers Rate This Book
100% Would Recommend to a Friend
Book Summary
Every woman Justin goes on a date with seems to find their soulmate right after breaking up with him. It’s his curse, and now, thanks to a Reddit thread, everyone knows.
However, his viral embarrassment may have a silver lining. Emma has the same problem and has sent him a message. The solution is obvious. They’ll date each other, break up, and then destiny will bring them each their own soulmates.
Traveling nurse Emma finds a job in Minnesota and rents a cute cottage on Lake Minnetonka for her summer fling with Justin. But when Emma’s toxic mother shows up and Justin has to assume guardianship of his three siblings, they’re suddenly navigating a lot more than they expected. Will these challenges quickly rip them apart, or does fate have other plans?
Our Thoughts on This Book
Abby Jimenez’s books never fail to make us laugh out loud, but this is much more than just a breezy beach read. It also deals with many complex, heavy topics, which makes this novel an excellent summer book club pick!
When Just for the Summer was released, it was originally marketed as a standalone (and can definitely be read as such). However, after reading it, we both felt like it should have been listed as part of the series because you get brief but important updates on characters from the first two books. Goodreads and other sites have since been updated to include this title as Part of Your World Book #3.
Book Club Resources for Just for the Summer
We have a great printable Just for the Summer book club guide available on Etsy, including discussion questions, themed games, custom bookmarks, and more!
You can also find free resources for your book club discussion about Just for the Summer on our website.
Crow Talk
Book Summary
Frankie is working on her PhD dissertation in ornithology, but needs a quiet place to focus as she’s been distracted by a loss. Her family has a summer cabin at Beauty Bay, a community of lakeside summer homes in the remote foothills of Mount Adams. Due to the treacherous conditions in winter, it’s uncommon for visitors to be in the community, so it’s the perfect place for her to work on her research about the special language of crows.
When she finds an injured baby crow, he not only helps her heal, but is the catalyst to a relationship with a mother and her five-year-old child, who has stopped speaking. Frankie was shocked to find them living in the grand house next door this time of year.
What to Expect in This Book
Crow Talk dives deep into the language and traits of crows and will leave you feeling more educated about these surprisingly intelligent birds. It is NOT magical realism with crows “speaking”, but the character studying the crows’ real communications.
More Books You May Enjoy
If you enjoy reading about birds and birders, don’t miss our 24 Bird-Related Novels & Memoirs.
Author Eileen Garvin also wrote The Music of Bees, which has been a favorite among our readers. It’s featured on our full list of books about bees if you’d like to do more animal-adjacent reading.
Esme Cahill Fails Spectacularly
Book Girls’ Readers Rate This Book
100% Would Recommend to a Friend
Book Summary
Esme feels like she’s failing. Fired from her NYC publishing job, divorced, and with piles of unfinished manuscripts in her broken down car, she returns home to Asheville, North Carolina.
Before she died, her late grandmother, Adele, had begged Esme to come home. Now Esme discovers that the family’s once-charming lakeside retreat is sliding into financial ruin. Determined to help her grandfather save it, and with unexpected help from her estranged mother and a traveling chef, Esme sets out to revive the property.
While cleaning out the attic, Esme discovers a trove of museum-worthy quilts and a hidden chapter of Adele’s life that reshapes everything Esme thought she knew.
The story unfolds in a dual timeline, alternating between grandmother and granddaughter, past and present.
Additional Topic in This Novel
Many readers say that this book was their first introduction to the concept of synesthesia. This is a real phenomenon in which some brains process senses differently, such as tasting words or feeling colors.
The Book-Lovers’ Retreat
Book Summary
Emily, Rachel, and Tori are great friends and are all obsessed with a book called Hope Falls. They can’t wait for the summer vacation at the Lake District cottage where the movie adaptation of the book was filmed. When Tori has to drop out, and another fan they haven’t met before, Alex, takes her place, the dynamic changes.
During their six weeks together, they will find love in all its forms and, as a result, their lives will change course forever.
More About This Book
Reviews say that the characters are not necessarily likable, but they evolve through the book as they make transformative life decisions.
Tom Lake
Book Girls’ Readers Rate This Book
89% Would Recommend to a Friend
Book Summary
Set during the summer of 2020, Lara’s three adult daughters have returned home to quarantine at the family’s northern Michigan cherry orchard. As they pick cherries and go about running the family business in isolation, the sisters beg their mother to tell them the story of her long-ago romance with celebrity Peter Duke. When Lara was in her early 20s, she and Peter shared the stage during a Michigan summer stock theater run of the play Our Town.
Lara begins the story with her very first experience on stage in high school and works her way forward through her brief but eventful theater career. As the girls learn more about their mother’s life, they are forced to reconsider everything they thought they knew about her and their father.
Thoughts on This Book
The title of the novel, Tom Lake, refers to the name of the summer stock theater where Lara performs. While the theater is set lakeside, the novel tells us that the lake itself doesn’t actually have a proper name. Over the years, the locals began to refer to the lake by the name of the man who once owned the property, and Tom’s Lake was later abbreviated to Tom Lake.
This beautiful novel captures the ways in which our past shapes who we become, how certain moments and experiences stay with us forever, and how certain relationships – no matter how brief – leave lasting imprints on our souls.
Ann Patchett has had some amazing narrators for her audiobooks over the years (Tom Hanks reading The Dutch House, for example), and this book is no exception. Meryl Streep’s narration is phenomenal and definitely adds to the experience of reading the book.
Every Summer After
Book Summary
For six summers, friends Percy and Sam were inseparable. They spent every moment possible together in Barry’s Bay, often curled up with books. As they get older, their connection leads to more than friendship.
But after Percy makes a big mistake, she spends the following ten summers in the city guarding her heart. However, when she gets the terrible news that Sam’s mother has died, she returns to the lake for one weekend. Her chemistry with Sam is still undeniable, but is the past too much to overcome?
Why We Think You’ll Love It
If you’re looking for an unputdownable, slow-burning summer romance, this one is for you! Our readers voted it one the best beach reads of all time, and here’s what they had to say about it:
It’s so relatable! It’s what we all hope for, the best of young love that comes back around. I loved the will they-won’t they. It reminded me of the best of being a teenager.” -Jennifer D.
“I loved the past and present tense alternating timelines. It made me want to fall in love at a lake house.”
“It had some suspense. I liked how it alternated between past summers and the present. The characters were interesting. One of my favorite books in recent years. I have recommended it to all my friends.”
“This book was nostalgic for me. Brings back the days of summer vacations and young friendships.”
Book Girls’ Readers Rate This Book
97% Would Recommend to a Friend
Book Summary
Eby first saw Lost Lake on a postcard, and she knew it would be her future. But now, half a lifetime has passed. Her husband and extended family are gone, and Eby is left with a once-charming collection of lakeside cabins. Each year, the same faithful misfits return to the cabins. Developers have cash in hand to buy the property, but Eby wants one more summer with the regular visitors.
Kate spent her childhood summers at the cabins, and now she’s hoping her daughter, Devin, can enjoy a summer spent at Lost Lake. One after another, visitors like Kate are drawn to the lake, looking for something they weren’t even sure they needed. From mysteries solved to heartaches mended, will everyone find what they need before it’s too late?
Short-Story Prequel
There is also a 28-page short-story prequel to Lost Lake titled Waking Kate, which is currently available for free on Kindle. While it’s not set at Lost Lake, it introduces readers to Kate before the events of Lost Lake, making it a fun supplemental read.
Book Summary
Best-selling romance novelist January Andrews is suffering extreme writer’s block after finding out her parents weren’t the perfect couple she thought they were.
After her father’s sudden passing, she retreats to his secret Lake Michigan beach house in a last-ditch effort to meet her next book deadline as a romance writer. Instead, she finds another distraction in the form of her college English department rival.
January is none too pleased to discover that Gus lives next door, but it turns out that he is suffering from his own bout of writer’s block. When they challenge each other to swap genres, we’re left with a romance writer researching a local cult and an often-cranky literary author writing a love story.
Why We Think You’ll Love It
This book ticks all the boxes for what we look for in a summer read: an idyllic location, laugh-out-loud banter, swoon-worthy moments, and realistic characters with complexities and flaws. It seems our readers agree, as this book received the most votes when we asked our readers to tell us the best beach reads of all time.
Bonus Epilogue
If you love this novel as much as we do, then you’ll want to read the bonus epilogue, titled The Layover, on Emily Henry’s website. Additionally, some newer hardback copies of the book also include the epilogue.
The Summer of Songbirds
Book Summary
It’s been nearly thirty years since June bought Camp Holly Springs. June’s niece, Daphne, met her two best friends, Lanier and Mary, at that camp, and they’ve been helping each other through life’s ups and downs ever since. But now June is in danger of losing the camp that means so much to all of them, and Daphne is facing an impossible situation at her law firm. Lanier and Mary are facing personal problems of their own.
Despite all the challenges these four women face, they agree that saving Camp Holly Springs is the most important thing. Along the way, they may just set the stage for their next chapters.
Multiple Points of View
This book alternates among the points of view of Daphne, Lainier, and June.
Famous in a Small Town
Book Summary
Mary Jackson is from a long line of women who have spent their lives running the Very Cherry General Store in Good Heart, Michigan. Like her lakeside hometown, the store is constantly inundated by tourists and facing threats from developers. She’s in her eighties and ready to retire, but when she was young, a mysterious prediction told her to await the arrival of a stranger – a young woman – to take over the store and carry on her legacy.
Newly 40, Becky Thatcher takes a vacation to Good Heart with her best friend in order to forget about her real-life troubles for a while. After meeting Mary at Very Cherry and listening to the octogenarian talk about destiny, Becky begins to reflect on childhood memories and future goals.
Why We Think You’ll Love It
Viola Shipman, the pen name for Wade Rouse, is one of our favorite authors of feel-good books. We were eagerly awaiting this summer release, and it did not disappoint! Wade calls Michigan home for much of the year and many of his books include vivid descriptions of life on the shores of Lake Michigan. Another good lakeside pick is Viola Shipman’s Edge of Summer.
This novel has a thread of magical realism connected to the lake. We loved that the magical elements did not overpower the very real life lessons about family and friendship.
You’ll be craving cherries the entire time you read this book – so plan accordingly! 🍒
The Lightkeeper’s Daughter
Book Girls’ Readers Rate This Book
100% Would Recommend to a Friend
Book Summary
Set on beautiful Lake Superior, this book explores a family’s history and deep connection to a lighthouse. Elizabeth lives in a senior home and has a sharp mind, but has lost her sight. She fills the void with music and memories, which spring to life when her late father’s journals are found in the ruins of an old shipwreck.
Morgan is a troubled teen assigned to community service at Elizabeth’s home. With her help, Elizabeth reads through her father’s journal, with each entry taking Morgan and Elizabeth back in time 70 years. He was the lighthouse keeper on isolated Porphyry Island. As the unlikely duo reads, they realize their fates are connected to the remote island and each other in unexpected ways.
Be Sure to Read the Author’s Note
Don’t miss the author’s notes at the end of the book! She explains more about the real lighthouse and Lake Superior. One reviewer notes that there is more swearing than she expected based on the cover, so keep that in mind if you’re sensitive to language.
The Suite Spot
Book Girls’ Readers Rate This Book
97% Would Recommend to a Friend
Book Summary
When Rachel is fired from her management job at a Miami Beach luxury hotel – for something she didn’t even do – the single mom needs to find a new job as soon as possible. She hears about a position at a brewery hotel on Kelleys Island. The man who offered her the job over the phone sounded incredibly grumpy, but she’s desperate, so she packs up and makes the move.
When she arrives, she finds that the owner, Mason, knows a lot about brewing beer, but almost nothing about running a hotel. If you can even call it a hotel – it’s barely more than a foundation and studs. She considers leaving, but she desperately needs a chance to rebuild a life for herself and her daughter Maisie. When Mason offers her full control of the design of the cabins/hotel, in addition to her management role, she decides to stay.
Geographic Note
In addition to being a fun, light read, this novel is very descriptive of Kelleys Island and the nearby small towns. Although it is the largest of Ohio’s Lake Erie islands, the year-round resident population of Kelleys Island is only about 300 people. Kelleys Island is a popular vacation destination that is only accessible by boat or plane, making it a quiet getaway with a laid-back lifestyle.
More About This Book
Trish Doller also wrote Float Plan set in the Carribean, which has been very popular with our readers for other reading challenge prompts. Rachel from The Suite Spot is the fictional sister of Float Plan‘s Anna, but both books read as stand-alones.
Good for You
Book Summary
Aly is six months into her dream job as the editor-in-chief of All Good magazine when she overhears her coworkers belittling her. This leads to a very embarrassing and very public meltdown. She agrees to take a month of unpaid leave to save her job. Unsure where to go or what to do with herself, she retreats to the Lake Michigan beach house she inherited from her brother, Luke. But when she arrives, she discovers that her brother’s best friend, Wyatt, also inherited a stake in the house.
She sees Wyatt as nothing more than an unkempt and unmotivated slacker standing in the way of her selling the beach house. But like her, he’s still processing his grief from losing Luke. As they spend more time under the same roof, they may discover that’s not the only thing they have in common.
Thoughts on This Book
If you need a quick read, this might be the perfect book. At just over 250 pages, it’s fun and fast, with a good balance of emotion and depth. Like most of Pagan’s books, this one combines women’s fiction and romance.
Try Me
Book Summary
Cassidy Brooks, a polished personal assistant for wealthy clients, arrives at Cherry Blossom Lake to manage an extravagant lakeside development on family land. Jake Spencer‑King, a hardworking local fisherman, harbors deep resentment toward the outsiders who threaten his family’s legacy and livelihood.
Their worlds collide amid trivia nights, hermit‑crab escapades, and one especially awkward wardrobe malfunction involving Cassidy’s mom. Despite their initial antagonism, Cassidy and Jake feel an undeniable pull toward each other, each hiding personal burdens: Cassidy with a chronically ill sister and a well-meaning but misguided mother; Jake with protective instincts toward his siblings and a complex gang of “wild brothers.”
As tension builds, they must wrestle with trust, community loyalties, and the looming threat of altering a town that’s precious to Jake’s family.
About the Series
Try Me is the first of four books currently published in Fenske’s romance series set in a sleepy Oregon coastal town on the banks of the fictional Cherry Blossom Lake.
Book Summary
Annie is devastated when her husband confesses that he’s in love with a younger woman. Looking to put her life back together, she retreats to the small town where she grew up. There, she is reunited with her first love.
Nick is a recent widower who is struggling to connect with his silent, emotionally scarred young daughter. Together, the three of them begin to heal. But just when Annie begins to see a second chance at happiness, her world is turned upside down again, and she is forced to make an impossible choice.
About the Author
Kristin Hannah began as a romance novelist before shifting to contemporary women’s fiction, and, most recently, historical fiction. What has remained consistent throughout is her focus on strong female characters. Read more about her writing style and backlist titles in our Kristin Hannah Author Guide.
A Northern Light
Book Summary
Sixteen-year-old Mattie is the eldest of four daughters being raised by a grieving father. She finds comfort in books and in learning new words. While she dreams of being a writer, she’s also a realist and knows that her dream of escaping their homestead to a fancy writing career in New York City is unlikely. Especially with the duty she has to her father and younger siblings.
When she takes a job at the Glenmore Hotel, she meets guest Grace Brown. Grace asks Mattie to burn a secret bundle of letters. But then, Grace’s body is found in the lake. Do the letters hold the truth of her murder?
The Lakeside Inn
Book Summary
Penny loves her job as a property development manager in Seattle, but a tragedy requires her to travel home to Sapphire Bay, Montana, to say goodbye to her grandmother. She has three sisters, and none of them expected to inherit their grandmother’s home together, especially with the strings attached.
Their grandmother’s neighbor, Wyatt, was equally surprised when the Terry sisters moved in next door. His hopes of completing a series of paintings were crushed when the women started a noisy remodel. Maybe that unwanted free time will give him a chance to help Penny solve an old family mystery.
About the Series
Each of the four books in the Return to Sapphire Bay series follows a different sister, but they can be read as standalones. All four books are highly rated, so if you enjoy the setting and sisters, we encourage you to continue the series!
Thrilling Lakeside Reads
If you love thrillers and mysteries, you’ll want to see our other list of lakeside reads. From light, cozy mysteries all the way to a Stephen King horror novel, there’s a thrilling lakeside mystery for every preference.
Love Summer Reading? Try This!
Our free self-paced reading challenge will keep you reading engaging books all summer long. To make it easy and fun, we include highly-rated book recommendations for each of the four summer reading prompts.
More Book Recommendations for Summer
- The Best Books Where Characters Go on Vacation
- 24 Books About Summer Camp That Will Rekindle Your Nostalgia
- Summer Mystery Books & Beach Thrillers
- Summertime Reads for Historical Fiction Fans
- Summer Cozy Mysteries Set on the Beach
- 2026 Summer Reading Challenge for Adults
- Best Beach Reads for Summer 2026
- Best Summer Book Club Books
- 2025’s Best Beach Reads for Summer
- Books Set in Greece: Armchair Travel to the Islands
- 30 Wedding-Themed Novels to Read This Summer
- Best Audiobooks for Road Trips
- The 22 Best Books About Road Trips
- Books to Read Before the Summer Olympics
- Best Beach Reads of All Time According to Our Readers
