Books
Summer’s days are numbered, which means you’re probably already thinking about heading back to school, resuming your regular work schedule, and swapping out your sundresses for chunky sweaters. But before you change over your bedside TBR pile to include scary Halloween stories and magical Christmas tales, let yourself enjoy a few more summer romance novels before the season is over.
It’s no secret I am a fan of love stories, especially during the hot summer months. There is just something about the season that makes me want dig my toes into the sand and to sink my teeth into sweet YA romances, funny rom-coms, and heart-wrenching love stories. Sadly, summer is quickly coming to an end, which means I only have a few weeks left to indulge in one of my favorite reading guilty pleasures. Luckily, there are still plenty of new books out there to help me do just that.
If you’re in search of book that will make you fall in love with its stories and it’s characters, check out one of these nine summer romance novels you can read before the season is over. From adorable meet-cutes and love-at-first-sight to feminist erotica and second-chance romance, there is something on this list for every reader ready to be swept off of their feet.
'The Kiss Quotient' by Helen Hoang
In this fresh and fun romance, Stella, a 30-year-old woman with Asperger's, is a whiz and math and a genius when it comes to predictive algorithms. But when it comes to romance, she's pretty lost. So she hires an escort to give her lessons on everything from French kissing to more-than-missionary. When their relationship starts to become something more than a business arrangement, Stella realizes that sometimes love defies all logic. Smart, original, and utterly addicting, The Kiss Quotient will bring a smile to your face and a flutter to your heart.
'The Wedding Date' by Jasmine Guillory
In the ultimate meet-cute, Alexa Monroe and Drew Nichols meet when they're both stranded in the same elevator. When Alexa agrees to be Drew’s date to his ex’s wedding the next night, neither of them dream the evening could turn into something more. But after returning to their separate lives and their separate cities, neither one can stop thinking of the other. Can these two driven professionals make a long-distance relationship work, or are they destined for disaster? Read The Wedding Date, a sweet rom-com that anyone dating in the modern world can relate to, in order to find out.
'Ghosted' by Rosie Walsh
If you like your romance with a side of mystery, you will love Rosie Walsh’s gripping U.S. debut, Ghosted. When Sarah and Eddie meet unexpectedly in a quaint English country road, it’s the beginning of a whirlwind seven-day romance. So when Eddie disappears, Sarah is convinced something has gone horribly wrong — why else would the man who professed his love for her vanish without so much as a phone call? Her friends tell her she’s been ghosted, but Sarah knows there is something else going on — something neither her nor Eddie could have ever predicted. An intoxicating romance novel with plenty of twists and turns along the way, Ghosted is suspenseful love story that will keep you turning the pages until the very end.
'My Oxford Year' by Julia Whelan
In this enchanting romance, a young American woman finally gets to live out her childhood dream when she moves to Oxford to live and to study. Ella’s plan is simple: spend the year enjoying this fairy tale opportunity, and head back to Washington, D.C. for the incredible job waiting for her when it’s over. But when she meets a handsome and devilish local who just so happens to be her English Literature professor, Ella finds herself falling for him, and questioning what her future holds — an amazing position with a rising political star stateside, or this unexpected true love in England?
'Save the Date' by Morgan Matson
This is the weekend Charlie has been waiting for: her older sister’s wedding, and the last chance for all of her siblings to be together at home before their house is sold. But when everything starts to go horribly wrong — crazy guests, unannounced dates, funding family members, and a neighbor determined to destroy everything — Charlie’s dream days quickly turns into disaster. Luckily, the wedding planner's cute nephew is there to distract her, but can Charlie even think about romance when her sister’s wedding is inches away destruction? If you haven't yet had the chance to read one of YA's funniest rom-coms, don't worry, you still have time to enjoy it before the summer is over.
'Tiffany Blues' by M.J. Rose
In this stunning, romantic historical mystery, 24-year-old Jenny Bell is invited to live at Louis Comfort Tiffany’s prestigious artists’ colony and compete for a spot at his New York gallery. An opportunity of a lifetime, the talented and determined young woman refuses to let anything distract her, not romantic entanglements and certainly not her tragic past. But as the summer ticks on, Jenny finds herself drawn to Tiffany’s grandson and dogged by a mysterious someone who seems to know about her childhood trauma. A sweeping story of friendship, love, identity, and truth, Tiffany Blues is a gripping romance you won’t be able to put down.
'Pas De Deux: A Dance for Two' by Lynn Turner
After tragedy makes her old life in Paris unthinkable, prima ballerina Wilhelmina Allende is thrilled when she gets the opportunity to leave the city and her heartbreak behind in favor of a chance to dance in the prolific choreographer Zack Coen's first musical on Broadway. Unsure Mina is the right fit for his show, Zack immediately changes his mind when he sees her in person and realizes they just might be perfect for one another, both onstage and off.
'Every Time You Go Away' by Beth Harbison
Some of the best romance novels are about heartache, including Beth Harbison's Every Time You Go Away. Year's after her husband's death, Willa returns to the beach house where he passed for the very first time, finally ready to sell it and let her past go. That is, until she arrives to find the property in bad shape and her husband's ghost literally hiding around every corner, trying to communicate with her. Together with her son, Jamie, her best friend, Kristen, and Kristen's daughter, Kelsey, Willa attempts to put the house, her family, and her life back together again in this heartfelt story about love, loss, and letting go.
'Let's Talk About Love' by Claire Kann
Claire Kann's Let's Talk About Love is the one YA romance novel I can't stop thinking about (or recommending) this summer. Starring a fierce and unforgettable heroine who identifies as asexual, it's a beautiful coming of age story about finding yourself, and finding the one, when you least expect it.
