Reading order
| # | Title | Published | Author | Buy on Amazon |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | The Au Pairs / Beach Lane | 2004 | Melissa De La Cruz | Buy |
| 2 | Skinny-Dipping | 2005 | Melissa De La Cruz | Buy |
| 3 | Sun-Kissed | 2006 | Melissa De La Cruz | Buy |
| 4 | Crazy Hot | 2007 | Melissa De La Cruz | Buy |
The Beach Lane series (originally published as The Au Pairs) follows Mara, Eliza, and Jacqui, three young women who take au pair jobs in the Hamptons for the summer. Each comes from a different background, but they all get pulled into the world of beach parties, designer clothes, and complicated relationships among the wealthy elite.
Melissa De La Cruz draws on her own experiences in the Hamptons social scene to create a frothy, drama-filled series about ambition, friendship, and summer romance. The books mix beach reads with sharp observations about class and image.
Published in the mid-2000s, the series captures the era’s fascination with wealth and celebrity while following its three protagonists through multiple summers of growing up, falling in love, and figuring out who they want to be.