There’s something about the warmer weather that makes us want to post up by the pool and read romance after romance while we work on our tans. Fortunately, romance readers are being absolutely spoiled this summer. Whether you’re craving sentimental friends to lovers, a small town romance that might just make you reconsider moving to your own ranch, or a magical garden in Maine that comes with a ridiculously attractive mystery man, there’s something for everyone. So, if you’re craving a new love story that is only going to make your standards higher, check out these 2026 summer romances. We apologize in advance for making your TBR even longer.

Our Perfect Storm by Carley Fortune (5/6)

Frankie and George have been best friends since they were eight years old. While they have their issues, they always come back together…until now. Frankie is only 24-hours away from getting married and she doesn’t know if George will show up has her best man. Right as the festivities begin, George walks in, and for one night, Frankie couldn’t be happier. But that happiness doesn’t last long. On the morning of the wedding, Frankie’s fiance dumps her via note. Crushed and confused, all Frankie wants to do is wallow. But George has a different idea. He suggests that she go on her honeymoon instead. With him. Viewing it as a chance to repair their friendship, Frankie agrees. Surrounded by lush rainforests and misty beaches, the two find themselves unearthing secrets and long buried feelings that neither knows how to handle.

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The Shippers by Katherine Center (5/19)

JoJo Burton has never been good at love, and she’s ready to solve her intimacy issues once and for all. Seeing her sister’s destination wedding on a cruise ship as the perfect opportunity, she decides that she’s going to woo the newly-divorced neighborhood guy that was her first crush. To help ensure her success, JoJo ropes in her childhood best friend, Cooper Watts. The only problem is that he also happens to be the worst heartbreak of JoJo’s life. She couldn’t be happier to see him again, yet it’s agony too. What starts as a silly quest quickly turns into something a lot more serious than either of them were expecting. The more the two team up for Project Conquest, the more JoJo finds herself obsessing over questions she can’t bring herself to ask.

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Score by Kennedy Ryan (5/19)

Wright “Monk” Bellamy and Verity Hill parted ways in college, leaving the two devastated. Haunted by their past, the two never seemed to forget one another. More than a decade after their breakup, the two have to work together on the set of an epic Harlem Renaissance biopic. WIth Monk creating the score and Verity penning the script, the pressure for the two to perform on this Oscar-worthy film is high. The once-in-a-lifetime project could skyrocket their careers, but can they put their past behind them for the sake of the film? Or will the tension lead to a box office disaster.

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By the Bootstraps by Alexa Martin (5/26)

Luna Starr has been madly in love with cowboy romances for as long as she can remember. When life throws her a curveball, she decides that it’s time to turn the fantasies that she’s been reading about into reality by purchasing a small farm in Celestial, Texas. Because what says romance more than the heroine trying to outrun grief? Tate Jacob, on the other hand, hates cowboys, which wouldn’t typically be a problem. Except his family owns the largest ranch in Celestial. Trying to stay away from the ranch life, he’s become the head coach at his old high school and the town’s best (and only) handyman. One look at Luna’s new property and Tate knows it’s an accident waiting to happen. As the two spend more time together fixing her house, the  undeniable chemistry becomes hard to ignore. Soon, Luna realizes that she just might get her storybook ending after all.

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Dolly All the Time by Annabel Monaghan (5/26)

Dolly Brick prides herself on being a problem solver. She survived when her mom left when she was twelve and she’ll get through moving back to Whitfield, Rhode Island with her son to keep her dad and brother from losing the family home. So, when she comes across Stewart Whitfield with a flat tire and at the heels of a very public, very embarrassing breakup, Dolly decides that she can help solve this problem too. But as the two fall deeper into their fake relationship, the high-society benefits turn sunset boat rides and Dolly starts to feel something more than helpful.

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The Open Era by Edward Schmit (6/2)

Recently-turned-pro tennis player Austin Hardy has always been open about his sexuality, and it’s never been a big deal. Until he becomes the first openly gay man to compete in a Grand Slam tournament. Suddenly, the world can’t stop talking about it, sending Austin into an anxiety-ridden spiral that leads him to tripping right next to the very attractive Diego Cruz—who also happens to be ranked second in the world. What starts as a friendship turns into flirty banter and mixed signals, which throws Austin further off his game. With all eyes on him, Austin must decide whether love means nothing or if it means everything as he battles for the trophy.

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The Summer Girlfriend by Kristina Forest (6/9)

After being laid off from her bookseller job, Noelle Lewis becomes a stand-in bridesmaid to help her save for college. It doesn’t pay nearly enough to cover the upcoming semester’s tuition, so she’s left scrambling…until the perfect opportunity arises. Jeremiah Smith II once lived a frivolous life, but since his grandfather’s death, he’s trying to clean up his act. But it’s hard to focus when his family wants him to join them in Heart Beach, where his most painful memory lies. To avoid going, he tells his family that he already has plans with his girlfriend. The only problem is that this girlfriend doesn’t exist. After a chance meeting, Noelle and Jeremiah come to an agreement. He’ll hire her to be his stand-in girlfriend for the weekend, and she’ll use that money for school. But, as it turns out, Noelle falls in love with Jeremiah’s family, and she finds herself drawn to Jeremiah. What starts as a weekend quickly turns into an entire summer, and the two will have to keep their hearts in check, or else it’s sink or swim for them both.

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Tropesick by Lauren Okie (6/16)

Katie Caruso is your typical twenty-five-year-old. Except for the fact that she’s a ghostwriter for Meredith Bradford, the bestselling romance novelist of all time. But then Tyler McNally walks back into Katie’s life, crumbling her “life is perfect” facade. The two haven’t spoken to each other since the overdose of Katie’s older brother—who happened to be Tyler’s best friend. Now, Tyler is a tattooed, educated aspiring literary fiction writer and Katie’s writing partner for the summer. As the two spend time together writing at Meredith’s isolated Southampton house, they find themselves living the tropes they’ve written into their novel. The closer the two become, the clearer it is that their love story isn’t finished. This time, though, they have to work together to fight for their happy ending.

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The Missed Connection by Tia Williams (6/16)

Sasha Cruz, a booked-and-busy casting agent, never stops working. Whether she’s out at happy hour or scrolling the aisles of the grocery store, she’s always looking for the next big thing to slot into the perfect role. With so much on her plate, she doesn’t have the time to date. Or so she thinks. When she has a chance encounter with a broodingly attractive mystery man on a flight to Paris, and sparks fly, she changes her mind. But they never exchange contact information. Convinced she’s missed her soulmate, Sasha tries to email her work friend for help, only to discover that she’s written to the entire company. The international manhunt to find Seat F begins. Meanwhile, Sasha takes matters into her own hands. She hires a smoldering detective that complicates matters in unexpected ways. With a worldwide search underway, will love take flight for Sasha?

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The Someday Garden by Ashley Poston (6/16)

When Sophie Drear plans her escape to coastal Maine for the summer to work at the Lilymor House, she doesn’t expect to fall in love. But she does—just not with a man…at first. She falls for the land, the flowers, the hedge maze, the quirky staff, and the mysterious woman who owns the place. And then the door appears. It’s never in the same place, and it leads her to an unfinished garden with a frustrated thundercloud of a man inside. Between the mysterious garden and the wild foliage that resists Sophie’s nurturing, it’s clear that Lilymore is unstable. With the help of the man inside the secret garden and the owner’s inconveniently attractive nephew, Sophie might be the only person who can figure out what Lilymoor needs to blossom again.

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In Every Possible Way by Alicia Thompson (6/23)

Jess has had her fill of bad dates, and after an especially disastrous evening, she decides that she’s done trying to find a romantic connection. Other than an enchanting Irish accent, her latest meet-up isn’t anything to write home about. And to make matters worse, afterwards, she’s mugged in the parking lot and hits her head. Hard. Hard enough that when Jess wakes up, she’s in Ireland. The first person she meets is Eamonn, a quiet, surly mechanic. Stuck with no cell phone or way to get home, he becomes her reluctant knight in shining armor. As the two explore cobblestone streets and the Irish countryside, their connection becomes hard to ignore. Can the love, touched by magic and a little bit of luck, survive or will it vanish like a dream?

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Love You More by Emily Griffin (7/7)

Everything in Billie’s life is perfect. Her medical practice in New York is thriving and she’s found the right partner in Dean after years of getting over her heartbreak from her high-school sweetheart, Mick. Then, one morning after accepting Dean’s proposal, Mick calls for the first time in nearly a decade. His news changes everything. As Billie boards her flight back to Wisconsin, everything that she left behind comes rushing back, and she realizes that a reckoning awaits her as soon as she lands. Billie must decide between what she’s built and what she still wants.

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The Romance Revival by Christina Lauren (7/14)

Three years ago, scientist Emery Finch did something she never thought she’d do: get married. To Luca, a charming landscaper she met in Vegas. Fast forward and Emery’s calendar is full of research, missed dinners, and forgotten anniversaries. She promises herself that Luca will understand once her cutting-edge discoveries come to light. But before that can happen, Luca is taken from her in a tragic accident. Desperate not to lose him, Emery breaks every rule, using the classified technology she’s developed to bring him back to life. He may have been saved, but Luca doesn’t remember Emery or their relationship. All of their memories are gone. It may be a miracle of science, but Emery sees it as her one shot at a second chance. And this time, she won’t waste it.

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Lost and Found by Tarah DeWitt (8/4)

Bea always dreamed of becoming a mother. She just never expected to lose her best friend to do it. Armed with her best friend’s eggs and a bucket list to complete, everything in her life is shaky. With nowhere to stay, her longtime friend Silas steps in to help. The firefighter is grappling with his own challenges after an accident that has left him cautious and vulnerable. At first, they don’t expect anything. But as the two come together, they realize that this new beginning will lead to a love that can withstand everything.

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Mutual Discord by Liana De la Rosa (8/18)

Sofia Mendoza has hit her limits. She’s tired of watching her male coworkers steal credit for her work, and now she’s going to do something about it. No one knows she’s behind a popular online series highlighting and celebrating women in history who’ve been erased from their own inventions and discoveries. Her family and friends would be shocked to learn that she’s supporting herself as an influencer. Keeping this secret might but lonely, but that changes when she sparks a virtual friendship with an anonymous follower. Everything is going smoothly with “A” until Sofia’s old friend, Caitlin, comes into town. “A” is Alex Castillo, her best friend’s boyfriend. Alex doesn’t reveal that he knows her, and Sofia quickly realizes that he may be hiding just as much as she is.

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