Looking for a little light romance to heat up your summer days? Look no farther.
Is it bare shoulders for miles? Or the unmistakable smell of sunblock? Perhaps it's the way everyone moves just a little more slowly through their days, or the way we seem to be more open to possibility once parkas are packed away. Yup, something about the summer heat leaves us feeling in the mood for sultrier-than-usual page turners.
When you’re packing your towel, cooler, and sunhat, toss one of these fun, new romance novels into your beach (or park or pool) bag. With varying degrees of sizzle, you’ve got plenty here to get you in the mood for a sexier-than-ever summer. If they leave you a bit flushed and blushed, just blame the effects of the sun!
The Game Changer
by Lana Ferguson
A hockey player and a baker shoot their shot in this steamy new romance by Lana Ferguson, USA Today bestselling author of The Nanny.
When a very public breakup becomes a PR nightmare for Ian Chase's team, Ian is surprised to find a solution through none other than Delilah Baker, his best friend and teammate's little sister ... who isn't so little anymore. Delilah Baker is known as "the darling of baking" on her local cable show, but with her numbers dwindling and her producers turning up the heat, Delilah offers up the half-baked idea to collaborate with her brother's team to entice the hockey fans of Boston to tune in to her show. Delilah's and Ian's teams think it's a true win-win situation – gaining higher numbers for Delilah's show and casting Ian in a more positive light. And viewers are eating them up like a cupcake, sparking the idea to play up their relationship for the goal of good press. This PR stunt will either be a total game changer – or leave them both totally pucked.
Until I'm Yours
by Kennedy Ryan
USA Today bestselling author Kennedy Ryan delivers a scorching romance where one man must earn the trust of a woman with diamond-hard defenses in order to win her heart.
The world knows her face …. Mean girl. Goddess. Bitch. Supermodel Sofie Baston has earned those labels, yet they don't scratch the surface of who she really is. Before she can follow her own dreams, Sophie must do her daughterly duty and reel in a "fish" for her father's business-a tall, brown-eyed entrepreneur who immediately hooks her. To Trevor Bishop, Sofie is a beautiful mystery he would gladly spend his life solving. He figures her tough demeanor is armor against a world that's hurt her too many times. Now Trevor is determined to help Sofie pick up the pieces so they can build a future together. The challenge will be convincing his ice princess that it's safe to melt in his arms.
All's Fair in Love and War
by Virginia Heath
In the first installment of a Regency romp of a series, a governess who believes in cultivating joy in her charges clashes with the children's uncle who hired her, only to find herself falling in love.
When Harry Kincaid's flighty older sister decides to join her husband on an Egyptian expedition, Harry, a former naval captain, is left in the lurch, minding her three unruly children and giant, mad dog. In desperation, he goes to Miss Prentice's School for Young Ladies prepared to pay whatever it takes to hire an emergency governess quick sharp. Fledgling governess Georgie Rowe does not subscribe to the ethos that children should be seen and not heard. She believes childhood should be everything hers wasn't – filled with laughter, adventure, and discovery. Thankfully, the three Pendleton children she has been tasked with looking after are already delightfully bohemian and instantly embrace her unconventional educational approach. Their staid, stickler-for-the-rules uncle, however, is another matter entirely.
Let the Games Begin
by Rufaro Faith Mazarura
Set against a sizzling-hot Greek summer filled with sunshine and souvlaki, Rufaro Faith Mazarura's Let the Games Begin is a page-turning debut rom-com about two strangers at the top of their game.
Olivia Nkomo has always been ambitious, smart, and an overall go-getter. Now that she's graduated from university, she's willing to do whatever it takes to land her dream job at the Summer Games. Ezekiel "Zeke" Moyo, the heartthrob star runner of Team Great Britain, is more than ready to claim his title as the fastest man in the world. When Olivia and Zeke collide – literally – on the first day of training, sparks fly. As the games grow closer, so do Olivia and Zeke. But the competition starts stirring up uncomfortable memories from Zeke's past ... and Olivia's goal-driving internship doesn't turn out to be what she expected. Will they be able to overcome their hurdles and achieve their dreams? Or will it come at the cost of their budding romance?
Love, Lies, and Cherry Pie
by Jackie Lau
Jackie Lau, author of The Stand-Up Groomsman, returns with a charming rom-com about a young woman's desperate attempts to fend off her meddling mother...only to find that maybe mother does know best.
Mark Chan this. Mark Chan that. Writer and barista Emily Hung is tired of hearing about the great Mark Chan, the son of her parents' friends. He's just a boring, sweater-vest-wearing engineer, and when they're forced together at Emily's sister's wedding, it's obvious he thinks he's too good for her. But now that Emily is her family's last single daughter, her mother is fixated on getting her married and she has her sights on Mark. There's only one solution, clearly: convince Mark to be in a fake relationship with her long enough to put an end to her mom's meddling. With each fake date, though, Emily realizes that Mark's not quite what she assumed and maybe that argyle sweater isn't so ugly after all.
Making It
by Laura Kay
From the author of Wild Things comes a heartwarming and relatable queer rom-com about an isolated young woman whose artistic celebration of her pet chinchilla suddenly launches her into the professional art world, reality TV fame, and first love.
Isobel's life is small: just her, her mum, and her pet chinchilla, Abigail, in their council flat on the Kentish coast. After mental health troubles in her teens, Issy, now twenty-eight, has kept things that way on purpose, only deviating from routine when her part-time job at a paint-your-own pottery studio demands it, or when she's inspired to create art of Abigail: knitted Abigails, sculptural Abigails, delicately rendered paintings of Abigail. When the Abigails earn the attention of famous artist and reality TV star Elizabeth Staggs, Issy is awestruck and a little alarmed. When Issy takes Elizabeth up on her offer to move her to London where she'll work for a year shadowing Elizabeth, she finds herself sharing a flat with a crew of boisterous roommates who welcome her into their queer enclave. Issy can't help but wish that one roommate – gorgeous and cool aspiring actress, Robin – might make her mentorship a bit more hands on. Making It is a nuanced and life affirming look at living with depression and of finding, as we all deserve to, self-acceptance, community, and love.
Swap and Smell the Roses
by Karen Booth
In this deliciously tender, steamy romance, a burned-out musician swaps city life for cottage country only to find that slowing down means a racing heart, thanks to the grumpy guy next door.
When Willow Moore's lifelong dream of music stardom goes bust, she's burned out enough to need drastic change. As in, she's trading her Brooklyn apartment for two months in the Connecticut countryside. Soon she's baking bread, spending Saturdays at the farmer's market and stopping to smell the roses, but some things in her new #cottagecore life aren't so pleasant. Like her landlord, former chef Reid Harrell. As grouchy and reserved as Willow is chatty and outgoing, Reid is an annoyingly sexy keep-out sign. If only Willow was good at staying away. As the summer winds down, Willow is forced to confront her needs, wants and desires, not to mention Reid, the hardest puzzle of all to figure out. Maybe it's time for the city girl to stop dwelling on dreams dashed and start following her heart – no matter where it might take her.
Hot Summer
by Elle Everhart
Sparks fly when a young woman finds herself cast on a Love Island-inspired reality show and has to choose between her heart and her strategy in this sizzling new queer romantic comedy from the beloved author of Wanderlust.
Cas Morgan has spent years of her life watching Hot Summer, the hit reality dating show that pairs together a bunch of sexy singles in an exotic island location. Like the rest of the TV-watching UK public, she's captivated by the hot contestants, outrageous fights, and hilarious banter. But she never quite thought she'd be a part of it, until her company secures a partnership with the production team behind the show, and Cas is handpicked as a contestant. When Cas steps into the villa, she's instantly smitten with fellow contestant, Ada, who shockingly appears to be on the show to find a genuine relationship, one Cas can't give. Ada is gorgeous and charming, and seems to like Cas exactly as she is, sharp-edges and all. Cas isn't used to the side of herself Ada brings out, and when their connection becomes undeniable, she's torn between listening to her heart or sticking to her strategy.
The Summer of Perfect Mistakes
by Cynthia St. Aubin
An achingly authentic, emotional summer romance about learning to color outside the lines.
No one in Spring Valley recognizes Lark Hockney anymore. They only remember who she used to be. Homecoming queen. Valedictorian. And one half of Spring Valley High's golden couple. But Lark knows that her once-perfect life wasn't really perfect. Hell, it wasn't even her. And in one evening, she lost it – and that perfect girl is gone forever. Now Lark's trying to put the fragile pieces back together, with no idea of where to start. She's only a faint sketch of the person she was, with blurry, tentative lines, and under the constant scrutiny of her overbearing parents. The only bright spot in her life is a community art class taught by Nick Hoffman, the esoteric and unreasonably hot guy from high school. Suddenly Lark's world is taking shape and the colors are growing more vibrant, from afternoon margaritas with Southern-fried divorcées to late-night apple pie with chocolate ice cream and an increasingly spicy situationship with Nick. But what she's found comes with a "best before summer's end" expiration date. And Lark doesn't know if she can ever truly let go of aiming for perfect.
The Cottage on Pelican Bay
by Brenda Jackson
Two years ago, Zara Miller found herself heartbroken and stranded in a New Orleans hotel bar with a sexy stranger named "Saint." One thing led to another and to a night of unforgettable pleasure. Though contact info wasn't exchanged – no strings attached – Zara hasn't been able to stop thinking about him or that one scorching night. Now she's returned to her hometown of Catalina Cove only to discover that her brother's new hire is Evans "Saint" Toussaint, the one-night man she can't forget. Despite an enduring attraction, Zara and Saint decide to keep their spicy secret in the past. Everybody knows everybody's business in Catalina Cove, and they don't need everybody knowing theirs – especially since they've both been burned in the past. But when their intense desire becomes impossible to ignore, they escape to Zara's secluded cottage on Pelican Bay, where they're free to explore whether their casual connection might actually be the lasting love they've both been missing.