Books That Feel Like You’re Living in a Nancy Meyers’ Movie
Books for your breezy, barefoot, wine-sipping summer
Midweek Musings is a cozy mix of book recs, library lists, and reading reflections, thoughtful updates I’d share at a playdate or while browsing the shelves with a friend.
If you’ve found yourself (like me) collecting linen napkins you may or may not use, watching It’s Complicated for the fourth time this month, and choosing your next read based on whether it could be set in a breezy Nantucket beach house… you’re in good company.
There’s a certain kind of story I crave in the summer. One that’s light without being fluffy, romantic without being cheesy, and rich with characters who feel like they’ve lived full, complicated lives. Think: warm lighting, emotional depth, rich in feeling and full of charm.
Here are the books that give me that feeling the “I could live inside this” kind of read. It’s less about trend and more about tempo. Pour a glass of Sauvignon Blanc and settle in.
Tom Lake by Ann Patchett - A mother recounts her past love story to her daughters during a quiet summer on the family orchard. It’s layered, luminous, and told with so much tenderness. And omg, the audiobook is narrated by Meryl Streep.
Read if you like: Quiet nostalgia, The Family Stone, or long talks at golden hour
Yours Truly by Abby Jimenez - This is a warm, emotionally satisfying rom-com with real heart. There are love letters, acts of kindness, and the kind of relationship that feels steady and safe.
Read if you like: You’ve Got Mail, witty banter, or falling for someone who sees you.
Every Summer After by Carley Fortune - A sweeping second-chance love story told over summers spent at a lake cottage. Bittersweet and cinematic, it’s the kind of story that lingers.
Read if you like: Sweet Home Alabama, tender reunions, or first love that still matters.
Summer Sisters by Judy Blume - This one feels like a Nancy Meyers movie about friendship. The ups and downs of two very different women over years of shared summers, it’s wistful and warm and will leave you feeling everything.
Read if you like: Beaches, complicated female bonds, or ‘70s nostalgia in soft focus.
The Wedding People by Alison Espach - One woman shows up solo to a grand inn, only to become entwined with the guests of a nearby wedding. Unexpected friendship, reinvention, and self-discovery.
Read if you like: Under the Tuscan Sun, found family, or main characters who surprise themselves.
One Italian Summer by Rebecca Serle - After the death of her mother, Katy travels to Italy, only to meet a younger version of her mom. It’s a magical twist on grief and love, with dreamy coastal settings and beautiful food.
Read if you like: Something’s Gotta Give, Amalfi coast vibes, or a touch of time-travel magic.
Romantic Comedy by Curtis Sittenfeld - A smart, grown-up love story between a comedy writer and a pop star. Full of sharp dialogue, emotional honesty, and women with actual careers.
Read if you like: The Holiday, late-night writing sessions, or stories that are as clever as they are heartfelt.
The Summer of Songbirds by Kristy Woodson Harvey - Three lifelong friends band together to save the summer camp that shaped them. A feel-good Southern story full of charm, sisterhood, and fresh starts.
Read if you like: Steel Magnolias, second acts, or stories that wrap you in a big soft hug.
The Bookish Life of Nina Hill by Abbi Waxman - Nina is a book-loving introvert who finds herself with an unexpected (and very messy) extended family. Cozy, quirky, and full of delightful awkwardness.
Read if you like: Julie & Julia, dry humor, or heroines who’d rather read than socialize.
Malibu Rising by Taylor Jenkins Reid - Four famous siblings gather at their Malibu beach house for an annual summer party… and everything unravels. Set in the 1980s with flashbacks to a heartbreaking family history, it’s sun-soaked, emotional, and cinematic.
Read if you like: Something’s Gotta Give with a messy adult family twist, or stories about siblings, surfboards, and secrets.
Sandwich by Catherine Newman - Over one summer on Cape Cod, a woman in midlife reckons with her changing body, family chaos, and what it means to still want more from life. It’s warm, funny, a little messy, and reads like a love letter to womanhood.
Read if you like: It’s Complicated, honest mom monologues, or stories that make you laugh and cry in the same chapter.
What Alice Forgot by Liane Moriarty - Alice wakes up on the gym floor thinking she’s 29, newly married, and pregnant. In reality, she’s 39, a mom of three, and in the middle of a divorce. As she pieces together the decade she lost, she questions who she’s become, and if it’s too late to start again.
Read if you like: The Parent Trap meets It’s Complicated, stories about second chances, or suburban reinvention with emotional depth.
If you're looking for more summery book energy, I shared a list of my favorite Elin Hilderbrand books and how I ranked them.
If your dream day involves making lavender lemonade in a sunlit kitchen while a Nora Ephron script plays in the background, these books are for you.
Tell me which one you’re picking up first. And if you have any personal Nancy Meyers-core recs, I want to hear them!
The Second Act is an entirely reader-supported publication written and created by Danielle Wraith. Click here to subscribe or gift a friend a subscription here (if a friend sent you this —tell them thanks!). Anything you want covered? Questions? Reply with a comment below! You can also find me on Instagram. Please come say hi!
Thank you for all the recommendations