15 romances that feel like summer

Rise to the Sun

by Leah Johnson

Following her triumphant debut You Should See Me in a Crown, Johnson delivers another YA novel full of friendship, romance, and music. Indiana teenagers Olivia and Toni stand on the precipice of change—but first, unbeknownst to each other, they can’t wait to attend the massive Farmland Music Festival with their respective best friends. Neither has finding love on their mind: Olivia is getting over a bad breakup; Toni is about to leave for college, and is still grieving a terrible loss. But each pair of friends desperately wants to win the #FoundAtFarmland scavenger hunt, and so they all team up—and when they do, sparks fly. Unfolding over a single weekend, this delightful story boasts a fast-paced plot, a whole lot of heart, and literary references to Jane Austen, Jo March, and Zora Heale Hurston.

Slanting Towards the Sea

by Lidija Hilje

Croatia is a character in its own right in this cinematic debut. Nine years ago, Ivona divorced her one true love for reasons known only to herself and her mother-in-law. But while she may have divorced her husband legally, she never left him emotionally. Now, at thirty-eight, she remains close friend and confidant to him and his wife, and auntie to their young children. Outsiders marvel at the friendly dynamic of their “triangle.” Ivona is floundering: she hasn’t sought the romantic love she still craves, and professional satisfaction has likewise evaded her. But when she meets a new man and the comfortable triangle is forced into a square, all four must reckon with their true feelings.

Every Summer After

by Carley Fortune

A second chance romance that alternates between present day and the six summers when Persephone and Sam first meet at the lakeshore cabin, fall in love, and fall apart due to betrayal. Percy punishes herself by keeping everyone at a distance and she never plans on going home again. But when Sam’s mom dies, there’s no way she can stay away from Barry’s Bay. Their connection is as strong as ever but they’ll have to decide whether they’re ready to take a risk and confront the past. (Open door.)

Dolly All The Time

by Annabel Monaghan

In this smart, sweet, and soulful tale, a big-hearted, deeply loyal woman named Dolly returns to her coastal hometown for the summer to help her struggling family. But their struggles go from bad to worse when a house fire damages their roof, and they need cash, fast. When Dolly crosses paths with Stewart Whitfield, handsome local “royalty” who has struggles of his own, an unconventional solution to both their problems presents itself: they’ll fake date for the summer and everybody will be happy. But then Dolly catches feelings. I loved the irrepressible Dolly, her rapport with her bestie, the slow-burning love story, the family fish business. This one goes down easy in the best sense. (This is the Modern Mrs Darcy Book Club June 2026 selection.)

Love, Lists, and Fancy Ships

by Sarah Grunder Ruiz

This was a walk-another-mile, fold-another-load DELIGHT. I wasn't sure about it at first, because the opening meet cute was a little much, but I settled in and thoroughly enjoyed this chaste blend of women's fiction and romance. The story centers a nearly-30-year-old woman named Jo who was once excitedly completing a 30-by-30 list, but her plans got derailed by a family tragedy. Then her nieces unexpectedly show up for the summer and basically demand that she get back to work on her list. She gets started by kissing a stranger: she thinks she'll never see him again, but surprise! He's her new neighbor, AND her new coworker (soon to be dubbed "Hot Yacht Chef") aboard the luxury yacht where Jo works as a steward. With the help of her friends, family, and new love interest, Jo starts facing the pain of the past, and plotting a course for the future—including plans to knock out that bucket list. Narrated by Karissa Vacker. (Chaste.)

The Summer Girlfriend

by Kristina Forest

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.

Flying Solo

by Linda Holmes

Holmes's warm-hearted sophomore novel is set, like her first, in the made-up harbor town of Calcasset, Maine. You could say this book was written with a vicarious visit in mind: Holmes says she wrote it in 2020 and 2021 when she was at home and "couldn’t go to any of the beautiful places I love in real life, Maine included." If you like the sound of a woman reevaluating what she really wants on the cusp of turning 40 (with plenty of When Harry Met Sally references), a second-chance romance with a sexy librarian, an older role model who lived an amazing life on her own terms, and a love story involving a beautiful and mysterious duck decoy, this smart second-chance romance is the book for you.

Seven Days in June

by Tia Williams

The early pages of this swoony romance with serious depth are set at a literary festival, where bestselling writers Eva (bombshell of the fantasy romance genre) and Shane (darling of the literary fiction world) are reunited after nearly twenty years apart, in front of an audience of delighted readers. Nobody knows the two have met before, or that they were high school soulmates before they were wrenched apart due to circumstances neither fully understands. This was a lot of fun and also insightful about the complexities of romantic and family relationships, with a summer-in-NYC setting I particularly enjoyed. A couple of content notes: this is open door and includes addiction and self-harm, as Williams shows her characters working through trauma in order to find both healing and their way to each other.

Once More with Feeling

by Elissa Sussman

Sussman follows up her smash hit Funny You Should Ask with a pitch-perfect second-chance romance. When persona non grata Kathleen Rosenberg is offered the starring role in her best friend’s musical, she can’t say no. This is the best thing to happen to her since her music career went down in flames ten years ago. But there’s a catch: the director is Cal Kirby, and he’s the reason the whole world hates her. Nevertheless, Kathleen says yes, and the story takes us from auditions to workshop to out-of-town tryouts as Riveted! gets ready for its big debut, and Cal and Kathleen reckon with their past—and present. Bold, sassy, and packed with the same flavor of gossipy industry and (fictional) celebrity dirt that made Funny so much fun. For fans of Carley Fortune’s Every Summer After and Ava Wilder’s Will They or Won’t They? (Open door.)

Just for the Summer

by Abby Jimenez

Abby Jimenez has been an auto-read author for me for several books now. Here we meet Emma and her best friend Maddy, who move around working as travel nurses, never staying in the same place for more than three months. But then thanks to the internet, the nomadic Emma starts up a relationship with Justin, whose circumstances mean he can't leave Minneapolis. It's obvious to the reader this is going to end in heartbreak, but it's an Abby Jimenez novel, so surely they'll find a way through it ... right? I especially appreciated the strong sense of place: Abby is known for incorporating real places and businesses into her books, and I googled so many Minneapolis locations! If you want to read more about Maddy’s journey, she gets her own romance in the novella The Situationship. (Open door.)

The Ex Vows

by Jessica Joyce

This second chance contemporary romance centers on Eli and Georgia, a couple who met and fell in love when they were teenagers, but broke up five years ago under painful circumstances. Now they're back in California to celebrate the wedding of their mutual best friend Adam, and for his sake, they've resolved to pretend that everything is fine and they're both at peace with how things ended. But the truth is they never got over each other. When they're brought back into each other's lives for a week to help pull off the wedding, sparks fly. This was a delightful, smartly-written read with heart and depth; I flew through it. (Open door.)

Second Tide’s the Charm

by Chandra Blumberg

Two nerdy marine biologists get a second chance at true love in this sweet chaste romance. Hope and Aiden first met and fell in love on the job, brought together by their shared love of sharks. It’s been three years since they split up, but marine biology is a small field, and this summer they find themselves working together again, filming viral shark videos for social media. They agree to keep it professional, but it’s quickly obvious to all—especially their pals on board—that the spark’s still there. They spend a lot of time getting in their own way, but this slow-burning, low angst story will be just the ticket for many a summer reader. You’ll laugh, you’ll sigh, you’ll google goblin sharks.

Beg, Borrow, or Steal (When in Rome #3)

by Sarah Adams

Since I read my first Sarah Adams book two years ago, her work has become a sweet escape when I need it. It doesn't hurt that the When in Rome series offers a positive portrayal of my home state of Kentucky: we don't get that a lot, y'all. This enemies to lovers romance is the third in a series, but it stands alone just fine. In this one eldest daughter Emily Walker takes the lead, and WOW do we see how the early deaths of her parents prompted her to pick up a heavy emotional burden and intense practical responsibilities where her two youngest sisters are concerned. In spite or likely because of her background, she's a first-class second grade teacher—but she nurses secret dreams of becoming a romance novelist. Meanwhile, her fellow second-grade teacher and workplace rival Jack is keeping a secret of his own: only his agent knows that he is the writer behind a wildly successful (and pseudonymously written) mystery series. I so enjoyed watching these two come into each others' orbits and find well-deserved love and happiness, and I REALLY enjoyed all the banter and hijinks along the way. I primarily listened to the great audio narrated by Nelson Hobbs and Brittany Pressley, but found myself dipping into the e-version because I couldn't wait to find out what would happen next. (Open door.)

One Last Stop

by Casey McQuiston

A twenty-something overcomes the impossible to find love and the family she longs for in this feel-good novel inspired by Kate & Leopold. Adrift and lonely, 23-year-old August moved to New York City with hopes of leaving the past behind and building a new life. To her great surprise, things start going well. She bumps into Jane (literally) on the Q line, developing a serious crush on the beautiful girl with the retro punk rock look. August is terrified she’ll never see Jane again, but then she does—on the Q line. It turns out Jane is always on the Q line, and if August and Jane are to get their happy ending, Jane needs to figure out how to get her unstuck—with the help of her friends, of course. Delightfully frothy and feel-good. (Open door.)

August Lane

by Regina Black

Black’s sophomore follow-up to The Art of Scandal is set in small-town Arkansas and the world of country music. Luke Randall is known as a one-hit wonder. But for thirteen years, he’s been keeping a potentially career-ending secret. He didn't write the lyrics; his first love did…and he’s still in love with her. His fortunes change when 90s era Black country music star Jojo Lane is finally tapped for the Country Music Hall of Fame, and Luke is invited to open for a celebratory concert in their shared tiny hometown. But going back means facing the demons of his past—including his first love August Lane, Jojo’s daughter. This romance explores who gets to call themself a country artist, the creative process, love, addiction, and recovery. (Open door.)

15 romances that feel like summer

Fall Book Preview

Refresh your TBR without feeling overwhelmed

a gateway

to reliable joy this summer

Buckle Up!

summer reading starts May 16th