Beach reads & burning wicks: 5 books to pair with Tides Between Pages
There is a version of summer reading that involves airport paperbacks, sunburns, and books you finish faster than you meant to. This is a beautiful version of summer reading, and I am not writing about it today.
Today I am writing about the other version. The one that happens on the porch after everyone else has gone inside, or on the balcony of a rented apartment, or in a chair pulled close to the window because the light is going and you would rather not turn on a lamp. The version where the book is in one hand, and something quietly burning is on the table beside you, and the whole thing is a little slower than the world tends to allow.
This is a list for that version.
The candle is Tides Between Pages. Grapefruit at the top, lily in the middle, sea moss and sandalwood holding the bottom. It is the most oceanic thing we make. It does not smell exactly like a beach. It smells like the memory of a beach, which is different and better for reading.
Here are five books to keep beside it this summer.
1. Chasing Summer by Frankie Scott
Set among the beaches, vineyards, and small-town charm of Prince Edward County, Chasing Summer follows screenwriter Elise Hunter as two unexpected romances send her carefully written plans off-script. Sunlit, playful, and full of second chances, it is the kind of beach read that feels like a weekend escape, especially with the fresh coastal glow of Tides Between Pages burning nearby.
2. Our Secret Summer by R.S. Grey
When Isabel travels to Ibiza to complete her late sister’s unfinished bucket list, her predictable life gives way to sunshine, adventure, and unexpected connection. With its vivid island setting and heartfelt story of embracing life again, Our Secret Summer is more than a breezy romance. It is a beach read filled with warmth, emotion, and the irresistible possibility of starting over.
3. Our Perfect Storm by Carley Fortune
After Frankie’s wedding unexpectedly falls apart, she travels to the wild shores of Tofino with George, her lifelong best friend. Surrounded by stormy seas and towering forests, long-buried feelings begin rising to the surface. Romantic, atmospheric, and emotionally rich, Our Perfect Storm is the perfect beach read for anyone who likes their summer escapes with a little more yearning.
4. Rules for the Summer by Meghan Quinn
Renley is determined to restore a beloved candy shop in the coastal town of Cape Meril. Theo, a wealthy British heir acting on a dare, was never supposed to become part of the plan. When the two find themselves spending the summer as neighbours, chaos, chemistry, and plenty of laughter follow. Bright, funny, and flirty, this is beach-read escapism at its most irresistible.
5. Love Song by Elle Kennedy
After a painful breakup, Blake Logan retreats to her family’s Lake Tahoe house with one simple rule: no men, no drama. Then Wyatt Graham arrives, a musician searching for inspiration and the former crush who once broke her pride. With its lakeside setting, slow-burning tension, and unforgettable summer romance, Love Song delivers everything a beach read should: heat, heart, and the promise that one getaway can change everything.
One more thing
If you are the kind of reader who takes a book seriously enough to think about what is burning next to it while you read, you already know something most people do not. The atmosphere around a book is part of the book. What you are breathing changes what you are absorbing. What you are absorbing changes what you remember.
You do not need a candle to read well. But if you are going to have one lit anyway, it might as well be one that agrees with what you are reading.
For this list, Tides Between Pages does the work.
For the other lists that are coming, we will see.
Hand-poured in Toronto. Shop *Tides Between Pages.*