FRANCESCA COCCHI

writer, editor, Jersey girl

Francesca is a writer and editor with nearly 10 years of experience covering food, shopping and other lifestyle verticals on staff at national outlets, including NBC’s TODAY and Food Network Magazine. She makes her fiction debut this May with the release of Have a Great Summer, a dual-timeline contemporary romance novel inspired by the Jersey Shore where she grew up. She is represented by Hannah Strouth at Sanford J. Greenburger Associates and published by Kensington Books.

“Cocchi’s debut hits all the right notes. . . A circle of engaging and supportive secondary characters and the iconic Jersey Shore summer setting make this a perfect beach read.” —Booklist

More Praise for Have a Great Summer

  • "Nostalgic, witty, and utterly delightful, Have a Great Summer is the sun-soaked, sand-in-the-pages novel to lose yourself in this year. Readers will be swept away to the Jersey Shore and fall in love with plucky Lina, who writes about weddings but is still searching for her own happily ever after. Francesca Cocchi has gifted us with a charming seaside escape to remind us: You can’t rewrite history. But who would want to when starting over is so much more fun? An effervescent debut from a standout new voice. I will read anything Francesca Cocchi writes!"

    —Kristy Woodson Harvey, New York Times bestselling author of Beach House Rules

  • “This debut feels as familiar and joyous as strolling the boardwalk with your best friend and an Italian ice. A love letter to swoony, all-consuming crushes and the cultural quirks that make beach town living so singular, Have a Great Summer is truly a gift for Jersey girls (and for any reader wondering what it means to be one).”

    —Courtney Preiss, USA Today bestselling author of Welcome Home, Caroline Kline

  • “Francesca Cocchi’s sparkling debut has everything: the joy of friendship, the hope of new beginnings, and a lush, living setting so vibrant I could feel the sand between my toes. I’ll follow Cocchi to the Jersey Shore any time.”

    —Katie Naymon, author of You Between the Lines

  • "A nostalgic tribute to the landmarks and vibes of Jersey Shore, an homage to the hustle and heart it takes to run a family business, and a love story for anyone whose greatest crushes and worst heartbreaks happened on boardwalks and beaches. Cocchi’s novel is a promise to any beach town local, torn between their love for their home and their big dreams, that you don’t have to choose.”

    —Katie Runde, author of The Shore

  • “Francesca Cocchi's Jersey Shore-set novel is a gorgeous tale of second chances wrapped in a warm breeze of nostalgia. It somehow manages to put us straight back to the wipeout of teenage awkwardness while then forcing us to get back up on the surfboard and embrace the joy. This is the kind of book you go back to over and over again when you need an injection of summer.”

    —Ali Rosen, bestselling author of Unlikely Story

  • “The thrill of first love and the crushing disappointment of that teenage heartbreak felt raw and real, and the strong female friendship added depth and resonance. You won’t want to miss this delightful book.”

    —Betty Cayouette, author of One Last Shot and creator of Betty’s Book List

  • “Romance percolates—twice—in this delightful small-town romance featuring the real Jersey shore. From first love to second chances, you’ll get a slow-brewing double-shot of love in Francesca Cocchi’s enchanting debut novel.”

    —Kimberly Brighton, author of The Way to Cape May

  • “This charming story of high school sweethearts bumping back into one another on the Jersey Shore is as sweet as the top of a midsummer ferris wheel. With nostalgic sparks, heartfelt moments, and plenty of banter, it’s the perfect beach read—no actual beach required. You’ll be smiling from page one to the swoony conclusion!”

    —Claire Swinarski, author of The Funeral Ladies of Ellerie County

  • “Perfect for beach bags and boardwalk strolls, Have a Great Summer is a worthy companion for every sun-soaked adventure. Francesca Cocchi writes with warmth and heart, creating the summer escape that dreams are made of.”

    —Courtney Kae, author of In the Event of Love & In the Case of Heartbreak

  • “Have a Great Summer wins my Best Beach Read of 2026. Cocchi bats for the cycle with this homage to the poetry of the Jersey shore, the heartbreak of first love, the power of female friendship, and the sweet taste of second-chance romance.”

    —Judith Natelli McLaughlin, author of Summer on Butterfly Bay

Upcoming Events

Meet Francesca on the Have a Great Summer book tour! Check back soon for additional dates and ticketing details.

Wednesday, May 27

Little City Books
Hoboken, NJ

Thursday, May 28

Thunder Road Books
Spring Lake, NJ

Get Tickets

Friday, May 29

Friends to Bookends
Allentown, NJ

Saturday, May 30

Doylestown Bookshop
Doylestown, PA

Sunday, May 31

Main Point Books
Wayne, PA

Monday, June 1

Kiss & Tale Bookshop
Collinswood, NJ

Wednesday, June 3

The Buzzed Word Wine & Book Bar
Ocean City, MD

Saturday, June 6

Bound & Bewitched Books
Toms River, NJ

Sunday, June 7

Word
Jersey City, NJ

About

Francesca grew up in Monmouth County, NJ, and and wrote her first “book” when she was eight years old. She attended a communications-focused magnet high school which sparked her interest in journalism. She went on to study English at Villanova University and gained local reporting experience as a summer intern at the Asbury Park Press, where she wrote about everything from heat waves to the best coffeehouses on LBI.

After college Francesca earned a certificate in book, magazine and digital publishing from New York University’s Summer Publishing Institute. The program led to her first editorial job as an editorial assistant at Hearst’s Food Network Magazine, where she spent the next four years covering food news, celebrity restaurants, cookbook releases and more. Francesca joined NBC’s TODAY as a commerce editor in 2021, where she focused on developing award-winning franchises such as Shop This List, Jet Set TODAY, TODAY Table and What to Shop This Week. She’s currently a senior editor, overseeing several shopping-focused franchises in collaboration with broadcast producers.

Inspired by her own experiences planning her wedding and attending 30+ others in the span of a few years, Francesca began writing the manuscript for Have a Great Summer, about a jaded journalist who gets roped into covering her high school crush’s wedding in the fictional Jersey Shore town of Brantley Beach. She also drew inspiration from her editorial career, her teenage years working in boardwalk restaurants and the fashion and music of 2009.

Forever a beach girl at heart, Francesca now lives in Jersey City with her husband and dog. She’s currently at work on her second novel, which is slated for release with Kensington Books in May of 2027. When she isn’t writing you can probably find her cooking or rewatching an early 2000s rom-com.

Select Writing & Media

TODAY

The Checkout: Shop TODAY Editors Share How They Choose Products

Food Network Magazine

Taffy Town

The Ultimate Guide to Zero-Proof Cocktails

Food News

Relishing It

The Pioneer Woman Magazine

Best in Glass

So Striking!

A Pop of Pyrex

Hoboken Girl

A Guide to Classic Italian Desserts in Hoboken

Inside Manhattan Neon: Hoboken’s Custom Sign Shop

A Guide to Fall Coffee Drinks in Jersey City

10 Unique Food and Drink-Making Classes Hoboken + Jersey City

Weekend Getaway: Avon-by-the-Sea, New Jersey

Summer Fridays in Hoboken + Jersey City: Where to Eat, Drink, + Play

Asbury Park Press

Local chefs compete in Jersey Seafood Challenge

Summer Heats Up at the Jersey Shore

Sip: Coffeehouses on LBI

Barnegat Teacher: “Be About It.”

Restaurants: New to Try on LBI

Dine with a waterfront view on LBI