The news is catastrophic. Would it be so wrong to briefly escape into a beach read?

Welcome to the eve of the July 4 holiday, the official beginning of high summer.

Los Angeles is reeling. The area is still recovering from devastating wildfires. Mayor Karen Bass this week accused the Trump administration of waging an “all-out assault on Los Angeles.” Roving teams of federal immigration agents have cast a pall of fear across many of the region’s communities.

Would it be wrong to escape for a few hours into a beach read?

Abby Jimenez, a best-selling author of romances like “The Friend Zone” and “Just For the Summer” who also owns a wildly successful bakery, believes an escapist romance book can be just the thing for troubled times.

“Romance is a safe space,” she said in an interview. “No matter what happens in the story, you’re going to wrap it up in the end.”

“The genre is so inclusive. There is sweet romance. Spicy romance. Christian romance. There are romance thrillers. Queer romances. And then you get your happy ever after.”

“Say You’ll Remember Me” by Abby Jimenez

(Forever)

Jimenez’s latest book, “Say You’ll Remember Me,” came out this spring, just in time for beach read season. Though these days Jimenez lives in Minnesota, this book is partially set in Glendale, where she spent some of her childhood. This conversation has been edited for length and clarity.

What does a beach read mean to you?

There are just some books that are suitable for the pool and the sand over others. You’re not going to be crying on the rest of your vacation.

What are your favorite California beach reads?

• I really liked “Malibu Rising” by Taylor Jenkins Reid. That book is so beachy.
• “People We Meet on Vacation” [by Emily Henry], but I think they’re in Palm Springs. I wouldn’t really call that a beach. But definitely by the pool.
• And “The Proposal,” by Jasmine Guillory. That’s in Los Angeles [a key plot point takes place at a Dodgers game]. It has lots of L.A. flavor.

In your book, the main character Samantha has a meet cute with sexy veterinarian Xavier over a kitten’s bowel problems, and then immediately decamps from the Midwest to Southern California. Tell us about your book’s connection to Southern California.

It is a book about making memories and losing them. It’s a long-distance relationship. Samantha’s mother is suffering from early onset dementia.

I grew up in the Glendale/Burbank Area, before moving to Palmdale.

The house I wrote into the book is actually my grandfather’s house in real life. I wrote it exactly as it is in real life. The car I wrote into the book, the 1966 Dodge Dart convertible, was my car growing up.

Today’s top stories

Under the plan approved Tuesday, more than $100 million is set to flow to homelessness prevention programs, including income support for at-risk tenants and eviction defense. Above, a view of housing near USC in Los Angeles.

(Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)

Los Angeles approves a plan to spend nearly $425 million in ‘mansion tax’ money

• The so-called mansion tax will direct nearly $425 million into housing and homelessness programs.
• The voter-approved measure, which taxes property sales above about $5 million, has drawn criticism from the real estate industry for years and recently been the subject of several reports that found it has limited property sales and thus reduced property tax revenue and the construction of new housing.
• Backers, however, tout the measure as providing crucial dollars to affordable housing and homelessness prevention programs at a time when the state and county have cut funding.

Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs has been found not guilty of the most serious charges

• Combs was found guilty of transportation for prostitution but cleared of the most serious charges — racketeering and sex trafficking — following a weeks-long federal criminal trial in New York.
• In response to federal prosecutors’ failure to convict Sean “Diddy” Combs on his biggest charges, attorney David Ring said, “the government overreached.”
• Closure of the high-profile sex trafficking and RICO trial prompted a variety of reactions from other musicians, accusers, supporters and social media critics.

Paramount faces backlash over its $16-million Trump settlement

• Critics blasted Paramount Global’s decision to pay $16 million to settle President Trump’s lawsuit over “60 Minutes” edits, calling the move a “spineless capitulation” that erodes U.S. press freedoms.
• But among some CBS News veterans, tempers were calmed by a sobering reality: that the outcome could have been worse.
• The biggest concern was that the media company would be strong-armed into making an apology or statement of regret over a case that they believed had no merit.

What else is going on

• Seven people are missing after a California fireworks warehouse explodes, igniting wildfire.
• “Shock and disbelief:” A U.S. citizen says ICE arrested her during a Santa Ana park raid.
• ‘It can be treacherous’: The sudden exit of an L.A. County sheriff oversight chair exposes rising tensions.
• Travelers are bracing for the Fourth of July holiday crush as over 72 million people nationwide are expected to travel more than 50 miles from June 28 to July 6.
• Trump has big plans for America’s next birthday. Historians have questions.

Commentary and opinions

• With “Alligator Alcatraz,” Trump and DeSantis define their immigration policy as a tragic farce, argues columnist Michael Hiltzik.
• L.A. Mayor Karen Bass, not known as a public brawler until recently, is ducking punches from the Trump administration defending her turf, writes columnist Steve Lopez.
• The Dodgers have the best record in baseball. But they still have room to improve, writes columnist Dylan Hernández.
• In the halls of Congress and on the canals of Venice, the new Gilded Age has a moment, argues columnist Jackie Calmes.
• My faith in the American road trip was saved by a small town in Texas on the Fourth of July, writes guest contributor Derek Mong.
  

This morning’s must reads

California

The Palisades fire spewed toxins into the Pacific. Summer surf camps are paying the price

For decades, surf camps and schools have been a mainstay of local beaches across Santa Monica Bay, but concerns over pollutants from the Palisades fire are hurting business.

July 2, 2025

Other must reads

• Do you want to cover your cocktail to keep it from getting spiked? California bars must offer lids after a new Assembly bill went into effect Tuesday.
• At Paris Fashion Week, accessories were more personal than anything else.
• A $450,000 accessory dwelling unit in Venice offers a rooftop deck, an office and the comforts of a bigger house.
• Bruce Springsteen’s European stadium concerts harness rock’s “righteous power” in “dangerous times.”

For your downtime

(Gina Ferazzi/Los Angeles Times)

Going out

• Outdoors: Californians can fish for free — no license required — for two days this summer.
• Entertainment: Baby raves?! There was just one in L.A. and it was weird and wild with glow sticks galore.
• Dining: An iconic beachside restaurant reopens on PCH after the Palisades fire.

Staying in

• Sports: Savannah Bananas baseball is set to stream live this Fourth of July weekend — courtesy of Roku.
• Books: Gary Shteyngart’s “Vera, or Faith” is a witty (and anxious) child-led tale about status in the Trump era.
• Recipes: Here’s a recipe for strawberry and goat cheese pie.
• ✏️ Get our free daily crossword puzzle, sudoku, word search and arcade games.

A question for you: What is your favorite thing to do in California for the Fourth of July?

Bob Lentz of Sylmar says: “I climb on my roof in the foothills of Sylmar to watch the fireworks across the entire San Fernando Valley!”

Jody Stefansson of Pasadena says: “My family’s favorite thing to do on the 4th of July is close all the curtains and blinds in our home, turn down the lights, play soothing classical music and comfort our dogs with cuddles and reassurance. We celebrate July 5th!”

And finally ... from our archives

(Joe Marquette / Associated Press)

On July 3, 1971, Jim Morrison — the lead singer of the Los Angeles band the Doors — died in Paris of heart failure at 27 years old.

A bust placed on his grave site to commemorate the 10th anniversary of his passing went missing nearly 40 years ago. As the Times reported in May, Paris police found the memorial bust “by chance.”

Programming note

Essential California will be off tomorrow. Enjoy your Fourth of July. We’ll be back bright and early Saturday.

Have a great day, from the Essential California team

Izzy Nunes, audience engagement intern
Diamy Wang, homepage intern
Kevinisha Walker, multiplatform editor
Andrew Campa, Sunday writer
Karim Doumar, head of newsletters

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