Every summer has its soundtrack: for us book lovers, that soundtrack is pages turning, characters falling in love, and the occasional gasp when the romantic tension finally, finally, pays off. The sun is blazing, the cocktails are sweating, and your TBR pile is whispering sweet nothings from across the room. It’s the season of stolen hours on balconies, reading by lantern light at the campsite, pretending you’re social while actually on your third chapter at the beach.
But let’s be honest: finding the perfect summer romance is like swiping right in a sea of bad bios. You want the spark, sure, but also the substance. Something swoony yet not saccharine, emotional yet not manipulative. And most importantly: original. No one wants another recycled enemies-to-lovers arc where the “enemies” part is just one rude comment about coffee five years ago.
So, after deep-diving into upcoming releases, reading blurbs like horoscopes, and possibly selling a fragment of my soul to NetGalley, I’ve put together a list of ten fresh, distinctive, and wildly readable romances coming out this summer. They’re arranged by release date (because structure is sexy), and each one offers a different flavor of falling in love, whether you’re into sci-fi kisses, legal drama foreplay, or Highland flirtation over scotch.
Prepare yourself: your summer nights are about to get a whole lot more romantic.
1. Winging It With You by Chip Pons
Remember that recurring dream where you’re falling out of the sky but someone catches you just in time? This book is that dream, but make it gay, make it sun-drenched, and make it about two guys pretending to be a couple on a travel reality show. Winging It with You is a slow-burn rom‑com rooted in fake dating, forced proximity, and the kind of vulnerability that can sneak up on you mid‑passport stamp.
Pons balances laugh-out-loud wit with quiet emotional depth, crafting characters who don’t stumble into love: they take the scenic route, complete with layovers, turbulence, and heart-aching realizations. The chemistry is all Top Gun charm and Hallmark heat, set against a backdrop of Midwest skies, awkward luggage mishaps, and one infuriatingly attractive pilot who has no business being that emotionally guarded.
Why we recommend it: Real feelings hidden behind a fake travel romance? That’s a one-way ticket to swoon city. This one pirouettes between charm and emotional depth like a rom-com ballerina in combat boots, made for fans of slow burns and healing through banter.
2. I Think I’m In Love With An Alien by Ann Aguirre
The title alone deserves its own Area 51 fan club. I Think I’m in Love with an Alien reimagines first contact as a quirky sci‑fi rom‑com where a hopelessly nerdy human obsessed with extraterrestrials finds herself falling for… wait for it… a real alien! Cue the disbelief, awkward flirtation, and late-night chats about universal translation errors and interstellar snacks.
Aguirre is known for her genre-bending brilliance, and here she layers banter with soul-searching. The story isn’t just about what’s out there; it’s about what we’re willing to believe in down here. Grief, connection, and trust fuel the romance, and even when the stakes go cosmic, the heart stays intimate. Expect moonlit stakeouts, alien goo, and the kind of chemistry that would make Mulder and Scully file a report.
Why we recommend it: What do you get when you mix nerdy chaos, alien chemistry, and emotional surprises? A love story that defies gravity and genre. If your heart beats to the rhythm of weird-and-wonderful sci‑fi kisses, this book already knows your name.
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3. Finders Keepers by Sarah Adler
File this under: “Books that made me want to revisit every road trip memory I’ve ever buried.”. Finders Keepers blends scholarly sass, cross-country nostalgia, and romantic tension so taut it hums like a roadside mixtape. Two ex‑best friends reconnect to complete a childhood treasure hunt, only to find that digging through old clues also means confronting unresolved feelings, grudges, and a whole lot of unspoken regret.
Adler nails the balance between wit and wistfulness. The heroine is chaotic-good with a heart full of impulsive detours. The hero is all repressed emotion and Google Docs. Their journey isn’t just about finding a prize; it’s about finding a way back to each other. If you’re into deep emotional payoffs, vintage postcards, and longing that tastes like a lemon‑lime Slurpee in August, grab this one and hit the highway.
Why we recommend it: A heart shaped like a road map and dialogue as sharp as lost treasure edges: this is romance archaeology for emotional hoarders. Ideal if you believe second chances should come with snacks and existential detours.
4. Look Before You Leap by Virginia Heath
One grumpy viscount. One sunshine rebel with a love for chaos. Toss them into an overly elaborate Regency house party designed to find him a wife, and you’ve got a situation as unpredictable as a white-water rapid. Look Before You Leap is historical romance at its most irresistible, with sharp banter, social sabotage, and second chances that hit like a swoon-worthy plot twist.
Heath has a masterful eye for emotional turbulence: this isn’t just flirtation, it’s romantic whiplash with petticoats flying. The heroine’s impulsive charm crashes headfirst into the hero’s methodical scowl, and the result is a duet of longing, sarcasm, and the kind of chemistry that could knock over a tea service. If you like your Regency with less restraint and more cheek, dive in and prepare to be soaked in every sense.
Why we recommend it: Regency rules go out the window and tension storms in, corset and all. With characters who clash like thunder and flirt like lightning, this is ballroom drama with bite, tailored for readers who enjoy their historicals with chaos and cheekbones.
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Subscribe to our weekly newsletter5. Tusk Love by Thea Guanzon
Start with one fiercely independent apothecarist on the run. Add one battle-scarred half-orc who trusts no one but his war hammer. Set them on a perilous journey through Exandria where every forest holds a secret, and every glance feels like a slow burn. Tusk Love isn’t a joke, it’s a daring and deeply romantic fantasy that uses magic and menace to highlight tenderness in the most unexpected places.
Guanzon channels sweeping high fantasy with real emotional stakes. This is enemies-to-lovers wrapped in moss, moonlight, and mutual distrust. Expect sharp blades, sharp tongues, and one waterfall scene that deserves its own content warning. The romance doesn’t just evolve, it erupts, smoldering through danger and doubt with the kind of heat that makes you forget it’s raining. For fans of love that’s messy, mythical, and a little muddy, this one’s unforgettable.
Why we recommend it: Romance that’s muddy, magical, and emotionally feral? Yes, please. This tusked tale stomps through fantasy tropes and leaves hoofprints on your heart, perfect for anyone who likes their quests tangled up in messy love and swamp magic.
6. Overruled by Lana Ferguson
Take two rival divorce attorneys. Add a steamy “we agreed this was strictly physical” relationship between these opposing lawyers. Toss them into a high‑profile courtroom battle where every argument doubles as flirtation. Lana Ferguson delivers a rom‑com with razor-sharp dialogue and enough heat to make your briefs blush.
The tension crackles between Danica Pierce and Ezra Hart, two legal minds too stubborn to admit they’re perfect for each other, except between sheets and during gala dances that veer from civil to scandalous. The relationship may be built on strategy, but it unravels through stolen moments and slow discoveries. Expect snark, sabotage, and one of the most delicious “there’s only one hotel room” scenes of the year.
Why we recommend it: Courtroom tension and steamy wit do not rest their case here. It’s a legal romance that argues with passion and flirts with precision, crafted for readers who adore enemies-to-lovers stories but prefer them in designer suits and with a penchant for bad decisions.
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7. Scotch On The Rocks by Elliot Fletcher
Some books make you want to pack your bag and disappear into the misty Scottish Highlands. Scotch on the Rocks is that fantasy bottled, with a broody local grieving a loss, a wanderlust-fueled American looking to start over, and the kind of emotional friction that comes from two people who never expected to collide. No actual distillery required, just a healthy thirst for atmosphere.
Fletcher writes with lush, sensory prose that makes every gust of Highland wind feel personal. The chemistry simmers quietly beneath grief and stubborn independence, unfolding across stone cottages, rainy walks, and debates about legacy and reinvention. It’s part escape, part excavation, and all heart. Bonus: you’ll probably crave a whisky you can’t pronounce and someone to argue about it with.
Why we recommend it: Grief and longing aged in oak barrels: this Highland romance is a slow sip that burns beautifully. Perfect for brooding souls and anyone who finds comfort in foggy landscapes and emotionally literate men with strong jawlines.
8. Only Between Us by Ellie K. Wilde
You know those stories where a fake relationship starts to feel dangerously real under the blinding glare of media scrutiny? Only Between Us is a sports romance with a soft heart and serious charm. An ex-quarterback with no interest in the spotlight and the ex-girlfriend of a football star team up to fake a romance during one wildly intense season.
Ellie K. Wilde builds the tension with quiet vulnerability and sharp banter. They look perfect on paper, but under stadium lights and through impromptu interviews, they realize the only place they feel truly safe… is with each other. Expect end-zone drama, post-game tenderness, and a finale that proves real love doesn’t need a PR strategy.
Why we recommend it: A fake relationship with too much real feeling and a soundtrack made of heartbreak and touchdowns. It’s nostalgic, bittersweet, and ideal for readers who still believe in mixtapes, unresolved tension, and lovers who look back to leap forward.
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9. Maid For Each Other by Lynn Painter
When a quick-witted maid meets a wildly awkward millionaire desperate for a convincing fake girlfriend, chaos is inevitable. Maid for Each Other is a modern rom‑com with fizzy charm, social mishaps, and enough class collision to power a dozen dinner parties.
Painter’s signature blend of snark and swoon is on full display. She’s practical, impulsive, and emotionally allergic: he’s stiff, wealthy, and somehow endearing in his cluelessness. Between family meetings, romantic near-disasters, and one unforgettable scene involving a dumbwaiter, what starts as a favor turns into a full-blown emotional freefall. Corsets not included, but comedic timing absolutely is.
Why we recommend it: Mansion mishaps, banter battles, and a dumbwaiter ride into romance? This one’s fizzy like forbidden champagne and flirty as a wink across a ballroom, crafted for fans of opposites-attract chaos and historical shenanigans in modern dressing.
10. Love Is a War Song by Danica Nava
One Indigenous pop star is fleeing the public eye. One stoic cowboy who’d rather speak to horses than people. Love Is a War Song is a lyrical, slow-burning romance about finding healing in quiet places and rebuilding what’s been broken.
Danica Nava crafts an intimate story rooted in identity, resilience, and the raw power of vulnerability. As the two leads work to save a struggling Oklahoma ranch, they unearth more than just old memories; they uncover parts of themselves long buried under expectation and grief. Picture wide skies, whispered confessions at dusk, and a kind of love that doesn’t shout; it simply stays.
Why we recommend it: Every page aches with protest and passion: this isn’t fluff, it’s fireworks. For readers who hear love in melody and seek stories that dismantle and rebuild with lyricism and heart, this novel sings until it hurts (in the best way).
Romance isn’t just one thing. It can be light, wild, political, cosmic, painful, hilarious, or quiet as a whisper. This list? It’s a constellation. A sky full of love stories, each one flickering in its own tone, style, and heart. So whether you want to laugh, sob, flirt, rage, or maybe scream into a pillow at a particularly well-written kiss, there’s something here for you.
Read them under the stars. Read them at sunrise. Read them with a fan on full blast and a glass of wine sweating on the nightstand. Just read them. Because love, in all its mess and beauty, is always worth it, especially in paperback.
