The Summer Girlfriend

This sweet summer romance and 2026 Summer Reading Guide selection is bursting with bookishness and baked goods. Jeremiah has been avoiding his tight-knit family lately, claiming his (fictional) girlfriend has kept him too busy. Noelle makes decent money as a for-hire bridesmaid, but needs a lot more to pay tuition for her coveted library science degree. After a bookstore meet-cute, Jeremiah makes Noelle an offer: pretend to be his girlfriend at his family’s beach house for the weekend. That outing goes so well, they extend their fake fling for the whole summer. Noelle falls in love with the house, the family… and pretty soon she’s falling for Jeremiah as well. Little does she know, it’s mutual. This is a fun escapist read with a beach house setting that’s a character in its own right.