Guest post written by Nothing Bad Happens Here author Rachel Ekstrom Courage
Rachel Ekstrom Courage is the author of Nothing Bad Happens Here, a YA thriller set on the island of Nantucket. A literary agent by day, she lives in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania with her husband (the children’s book author Nick Courage) and their dog, Chaely.
It’s almost spring break and summer is right around the corner, so it’s time to start picking out your beach reads! Whether you’re planning a trip or just dreaming of one, these young adult thrillers and romances will transport you to beautiful and unique locales from the comfort of your favorite reading nook.
First stop, the City of Light with Under the Surface by Diana Urban. But readers won’t be lingering by the Eiffel Tower or strolling the Champs-Elysees in this spooky read. This excellent pulse-pounding thriller takes place in the catacombs, a series of tombs far beneath the streets of Paris.
Hop a train from France to Italy and fall in love with All Roads Lead To Rome by Sabrina Fedel, a Roman Holiday-esque YA romance featuring an anxious introvert who thinks she knows all the gelato shops and picturesque ruins of the Eternal City. But when she meets a Scottish hottie and gets embroiled in a fake-dating scheme, will it be her heart that’s left in ruins?
Next, hop another flight to India for Love Craves Cardamom by Aashna Avachat (coming out in May) for a read with a rich backdrop of art and culture. In this romance, Archana Dhawan is looking forward to a semester abroad–without the distraction of boys. But at her museum internship near the palace in Rajasthan, her plans go awry when she meets a cute gardener and things heat up.
If you’re all about the ocean, dip into the edge-of-your-seat thriller Seasick by Kristin Cast and Pintip Dunn, set aboard a luxury yacht en route to sunny Bermuda (where two ex-best friends find one of their privileged group murdered). Trapped at sea, the two girls realize a serial killer is closing in, and they have nowhere to run.
If the yacht makes it back to the States, disembark in New Orleans, Louisiana for The Debutantes by Olivia Worley. This glittering thriller is set among the glamorous balls and colorful festivities of the Mardi Gras season, where a mysterious Jester appears and threatens to reveal secrets about the debutante that turned up dead the previous year. Three friends work to unearth the Jester’s identity and prevent another killing in this riveting mystery.
It’s not necessarily a vacation destination, but who wouldn’t want to visit a posh New England boarding school to soak up some dark academia vibes? In A Darker Mischief by Derek Milman, initiation rituals can be downright dangerous as a disadvantaged queer teen works to fit in… and stay alive. Come for the stained glass and manicured lawns of the lush campus setting, stay for the thrilling mystery.
