Anne dives into the world of beach reads with Kristina Forest, contemporary romance writer and author of the 2026 MMD Summer Reading Guide title, The Summer Girlfriend.

In the Guide, Anne described it as a sweet summer romance bursting with bookishness and baked goods. The beach setting was inspired by a handful of real places and Kristina's deep and abiding love for the Jersey Shore. Anne and Kristina chat all about that today, along with some of Kristina's very favorite titles for beach reading season. Whether you need a paperback to toss in your beach bag, or you won't be going anywhere near the beach anytime soon and would welcome a vicarious vacation, today's conversation has titles you may enjoy.

Find the list of books mentioned on our show notes page at whatshouldireadnextpodcast.com/530.

Chapters

02:29 Meet Kristina Forest

05:46 Kristina’s journey to becoming an author

17:19 Kristina on writing a beach read

20:10 The Summer Girlfriend by Kristina Forest

32:46: Kristina’s favorite beach reads

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