18 Fun Books Set In & About Cape Cod
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18 Fun Books Set In & About Cape Cod
You’ll notice that most of these books set in and about Cape Cod revolve around summer, romance loads of fun!
This is because Cape Cod, Massachusetts has long been a popular summer getaway in the Northeastern United States. But don’t worry, we have some non-fiction recommendations on Cape Cod’s history too.
Along with the mainland peninsula, the region also encompasses the islands of Nantucket and Martha’s Vineyard. Cape Cod is known for its scenic beaches, quaint towns with historic homes, lighthouses, and fresh seafood.
There are many great books set in Cape Cod that make the perfect summer beach read.
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Get these best books set in Cape Cod here:
- Sign up for a free trial of Audible: Get 30 days of free access to thousands of audiobooks, and one free premium title of your choice. Perfect for listening on the go!
- Sign up for free trial of Kindle Unlimited: Get 30 days of free access to unlimited ebook reading on any device. You will unlock access to over two million titles instantly!
- Sign up for free trial of Amazon Prime: Get 30 days of a free trial offering free two-day shipping on all purchases, plus access to hundreds of new ebooks each month.
- Receive 2 audiobook credits with my code: BREWING on Libro.fm!
18 Books Set In & About Cape Cod
Here are some of the best books set in Cape Cod, Nantucket, and Martha’s Vineyard to read:
Fiction Books Set In Cape Cod
28 Summers by Elin Hilderbrand
28 Summers is a novel set in Nantucket. Elin Hilderbrand is the queen of books set in Cape Cod.
This bestselling novel explores the agony and romance of a one-weekend-per-year summer affair and the dramatic ways this relationship complicates and enriches the lives of the two people involved, and the lives of those they love.
If you’re looking for romance novels set in Cape Cod, give this one a go.
Girls of Summer by Nancy Thayer
Girls of Summer is a women’s fiction novel about one life-changing summer on the island of Nantucket that brings about exhilarating revelations for a single mother and her two grown children.
The Summer Place by Jennifer Weiner
The Summer Place is the perfect summer beach read if you are looking for a heartfelt story you won’t be able to put down about family, secrets, and the ties that bind.
It’s set in Cape Cod and follows several generations of women who have come together to plan a wedding, with plenty of bumps on the road along the way.
The Beach House by Jane Green
The Beach House is a delightful novel set in Nantucket about a woman in her sixties, who, in need of some extra cash, opens up her beautiful beach home for summer rentals.
Between an eclectic bunch of tenants, the sudden return of her son, and an unexpected arrival from her past, she has her hands full.
Summer of ’69 by Elin Hilderbrand
1969 was one of the most tumultuous years in American history. Summer of ’69 is a Cape Cod historical fiction beach read following four siblings who experience the drama, intrigue, and upheaval during the last summer of the 1960s.
This book takes place on the islands of Nantucket and Martha’s Vineyard.
Read More: 15 Books Like It Happened One Summer
Before the Fall by Noah Hawley
If you are looking for a mystery/thriller set in Cape Cod, check out Before the Fall.
This novel is about a private plane departing from Martha’s Vineyard to New York carrying twelve passengers that crashes into the ocean, with only two survivors.
Find out if it was a tragic accident or a sinister plot.
Love Anthony by Lisa Genova
Love Anthony is a book that is set in Nantucket about two women, their friendship, and how their stories intertwine because of Anthony, a three-year-old boy with nonverbal autism.
This is an insightful and wholesome read set in Cape Cod.
That Summer by Jennifer Weiner
That Summer is the perfect summer beach read that takes place on the Outer Cape.
It follows two very different women who end up becoming friends through a chance connection through a misspelled email address.
This is a story about surviving our pasts, confronting our futures, and the sustaining bonds of friendship.
Summer Darlings by Brooke Lea Foster
If you are looking for a summery historical fiction novel set in Cape Cod, look no further than Summer Darlings.
This novel is set in Martha’s Vineyard in the 1960s, and follows a college student who becomes a summer nanny for a mysterious and wealthy family, where she ends up falling in love on the elegant island.
Island Girls by Nancy Thayer
Island Girls is a book that takes place in Nantucket. This story is an emotional and entertaining tale about three sisters who are forced to confront the past over one event-filled summer on the island.
The Paper Palace by Miranda Cowley Heller
The Paper Palace is a book that takes place in the backwoods of Cape Cod at a woman’s summer home she has visited her whole life.
It’s a story of secrets, love, and lies that is told over the course of a singular day, where one woman must make a life-changing decision that has been brewing for decades.
The Identicals by Elin Hildebrand
The Identicals is a heart-warming summer novel about two twin sisters, who are identical in looks but lead very different lives: one on the island of Nantucket, the other on the island of Martha’s Vineyard.
This is a heart-warming read about sisterly bond and self-discovery set in Cape Cod.
The Nantucket Inn by Pamela M. Kelley
The Nantucket Inn is a story about a woman who decides to turn her home into a bed and breakfast when she is left without any money after her husband passes away and his gambling addiction comes to light.
Rather than sell her house in Nantucket, she decides to put her cooking and entertaining skills to work as a B&B owner.
Big Summer by Jennifer Weiner
Big Summer is another book set in Cape Cod that is the perfect summer read. It is a deliciously funny, remarkably poignant, and simply unputdownable novel about the power of friendship, the lure of frenemies, and the importance of making peace with yourself through all life’s ups and downs.
Summer on the Bluffs by Sunny Hostin
Summer on the Bluffs is a fiction novel set in Oak Bluffs, an exclusive beach community on Martha’s Vineyard.
This story follows three goddaughters from very different backgrounds who come together each summer at Chateau Laveau, a cottage where they can escape and slow down from their hectic lives.
Family Reunion by Nancy Thayer
Family Reunion takes place on the island of Nantucket and is about a longtime Nantucket resident trying to make the best of a lonely summer.
Her spirited granddaughter is learning what she wants out of life. Unforgettable surprises await them both in this story.
Books About Cape Cod History & Amenities
A Field Guide to Cape Cod by Patrick J. Lynch
In this guidebook, learn about the natural history of Cape Cod, surrounding islands, amenities, unique flora and fauna species.
The Enduring Shore by Paul Schneider
The Enduring Shore is a book about Cape Cod’s history. The author did deep research of the Cape and Islands’ maritime economy and life.
This book was an interesting combination of a kayaker’s tour of Cape Cod and the islands, but also of the people who lived there, such as Native Americans. Not forgetting modern tourists who came to visit
Wrap Up: Books Set In Cape Cod
These are some of the best books set in and about Cape Cod to add to your reading list.
Get these best books set in Cape Cod here:
- Sign up for a free trial of Audible: Get 30 days of free access to thousands of audiobooks, and one free premium title of your choice. Perfect for listening on the go!
- Sign up for free trial of Kindle Unlimited: Get 30 days of free access to unlimited ebook reading on any device. You will unlock access to over two million titles instantly!
- Sign up for free trial of Amazon Prime: Get 30 days of a free trial offering free two-day shipping on all purchases, plus access to hundreds of new ebooks each month.
- Receive 2 audiobook credits with my code: BREWING on Libro.fm!
Have you read or do you plan to read any of these books set in Cape Cod? Do you have any favorite books set in Cape Cod that you think should be added to this list? Let me know in the comments below!
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