There’s a particular kind of nostalgia that transcends seasons yet somehow always feels like summer in our memories. These stories tap into the universal experience of looking back on defining moments with the perfect blend of joy and gentle heartache. They explore connections made and sometimes lost, identities formed through shared experiences, and the tangible artifacts that become touchstones of our past. Each recommendation offers a different lens on nostalgia—that bittersweet reminder of times that shaped us, regardless of when they occurred. These are books to get lost in when you’re yearning for that feeling of discovery, transformation, and the sweet ache of remembrance.
Sounds Like Love by Ashley Poston
When songwriter Joni Lark hits a creative wall in Los Angeles, she retreats to Vienna Shores—the coastal hometown she left behind. But homecoming brings unwelcome surprises: her mother’s fading memory, an estranged best friend, and her family’s beloved music venue on the brink of closure. Then the melody arrives—hauntingly incomplete and accompanied by a mysterious male voice inside her head. Just when Joni dismisses it as stress-induced delusion, the flesh-and-blood owner of that voice appears in town—grumpy, guarded, and hearing the exact same music. As they reluctantly collaborate to break their supernatural bond, Joni discovers that some connections run deeper than magic—and the music between them might be worth risking everything for.
Buy the book now: Bookshop.org | Amazon | Barnes & Noble
Seven Days In Tokyo by José Daniel Alvior
A chance encounter in Manhattan leads to one perfect night between strangers. Months later in Tokyo, they have just seven days to discover if their connection was merely fleeting or something worth pursuing. British expatriate Landon has made Japan his temporary refuge, while Louie visits on borrowed time, anxiously awaiting news about his American visa. Their brief reunion unfolds against misty cherry blossoms and narrow alleyways—days filled with shared meals, tangled sheets, and conversations that blur into dawn. As their countdown advances, Louie’s heart outpaces reality. His growing attachment to Landon intertwines with dreams of a future not yet secured, challenging what’s possible in a relationship where time itself becomes their greatest adversary.
Buy the book now: Bookshop.org | Amazon | Barnes & Noble
Atmosphere by Taylor Jenkins Reid
As a physics professor in 1980s Houston, Joan has settled into a quiet life until NASA puts out a call for women scientists to join the space shuttle program. Joan applies on a whim. What follows is anything but ordinary. Thrown into an elite training program with other first-time astronaut candidates, Joan builds unlikely bonds and pushes her limits. And when love enters the picture, so does the risk of unraveling everything she thought she knew about herself.
Buy the book now: Bookshop.org | Amazon | Barnes & Noble
Finders Keepers by Sarah Adler
When professor Nina Hunnicutt’s life crumbles—newly single, unemployed, living with parents—her childhood neighbor Quentin Bell reappears with an unexpected proposal: resume the treasure hunt that ended their friendship seventeen years ago. The rumored fortune left by their town’s eccentric seltzer magnate could help Nina rebuild her life, despite the risk of history repeating itself. As they follow forgotten clues, Nina discovers Quentin has grown extremely handsome, and their connection resurfaces alongside buried secrets. Finding the treasure might require excavating their complicated past—and being brave enough to face what once tore them apart.
Buy the book now: Bookshop.org | Amazon | Barnes & Noble
Scars Of Anatomy by Nicole Alfrine
College quarterback Bronx Miller dominates both the football field and dating scene with his no-strings policy. No woman has ever said no—until he meets Olivia McCausland, his new anatomy lab partner. The straight-A pre-med student sees beyond his campus celebrity persona, remaining utterly unimpressed by his charm. Their semester unfolds through study sessions and competitive test-score bets, gradually revealing unexpected common ground beneath their opposing exteriors. As Bronx begins shedding his carefully-maintained playboy image, outside pressures threaten their growing connection. Together they discover that while scars come in many forms, they don’t determine your worth—or your future. But first, they’ll need to fight for what’s forming between them.
Buy the book now: Bookshop.org | Amazon | Barnes & Noble
The Love Fix by Jill Shalvis
Art appraiser Lexi Clark avoids complications—especially those waiting in her hometown of Sunrise Cove. But when her life falls apart, a call bringing her back home forces her to confront what she’s been running from: her stepsister Ashley’s boundless optimism and Heath Bowman, the childhood rival who now makes her pulse race. Her late mother’s final wish becomes an unexpected mission: repay those harmed by her gambling addiction. With Heath appointed executor, Lexi finds herself on a reluctant journey of financial and emotional reconciliation. Between awkward reunions and roadside mishaps, something shifts. The walls guarding Lexi’s heart face their greatest challenge yet—not from the debts she’s settling, but from the possibility that family, forgiveness, and even love might be within reach after all.
Buy the book now: Bookshop.org | Amazon | Barnes & Noble
When Javi Dumped Mari by Mia Sosa
Javier Báez has perfected his role as Mari Campos’ platonic best friend for a decade, hiding his feelings behind their college graduation pact: neither dates anyone without the other’s approval. But when successful entertainment attorney Mari announces her engagement to a Pedro Pascal lookalike—a man Javi never vetted—he realizes his time as the patient understudy is running out. While Mari builds her carefully planned future with another man, Javi’s theater career is finally taking center stage. But rather than celebrating his own success, he’s scrambling to rewrite their ending before Mari commits to the wrong leading man. With just eight weeks until the wedding, Javi must perform the role of his life!
Buy the book now: Bookshop.org | Amazon | Barnes & Noble
An Irish Summer by Alexandra Paige
Chelsea’s orderly Boston life has suddenly unraveled. When the bed and breakfast where she’s worked since college announces its sale, she’s left with less than a month to rebuild her entire existence. Desperate for options, she accepts a temporary position at a sister hostel in Galway, Ireland—a placeholder while she plans her return to stability. But Ireland isn’t the charming adventure she expected. The Wanderer hostel greets her with incessant rain, shared bathrooms, and a notable absence of iced coffee. While her heart remains anchored to Massachusetts, her new coworkers are determined to change her perspective—especially Collin, the magnetic tour guide who challenges her reluctance. Their agreement is simple: Collin will reveal the true Ireland, and only then can Chelsea pass judgment. As summer unfolds, so does her attachment to the hostel, Irish culture, and the man opening her eyes to a different kind of life.
Buy the book now: Bookshop.org | Amazon | Barnes & Noble
Bed And Breakup by Susie Dumond
Once upon a time, Molly and Robin transformed the Hummingbird Inn into Arkansas’s most sought-after queer-friendly getaway. Then career ambitions tore them apart, leaving their marriage and beloved property under distant management while they pursued separate lives. Seven years later, fate delivers them back to Eureka Springs simultaneously—artist Molly arriving for a prestigious commission and chef Robin seeking refuge after a setback. Each believes the inn to be rightfully theirs, leading to increasingly outlandish pranks designed to drive the other away. When stubbornness proves equally matched, they strike an uncomfortable compromise: renovate the neglected property together, sell it, and permanently sever ties. But as they restore vintage fixtures and uncover forgotten spaces, something unexpected happens. The memories embedded in every floorboard and the undeniable spark still flickering between them suggest that perhaps their greatest creation wasn’t the inn itself—but what they built together.
Buy the book now: Bookshop.org | Amazon | Barnes & Noble
Love Unmasked by Becky Dean
Art student Evie Whitmore can’t believe her class trip has brought her to Venice—setting of her secret obsession, the fantasy series “Elven Realms”. Determined to find the rumored underground fan club, she sneaks out costumed and masked, keeping her mission hidden from everyone, especially her project partner, brooding loner Gabriel. Her midnight adventure leads to an unexpected collision with a fellow masked enthusiast called Angelo. As they decode clues through Venice’s labyrinthine streets, their connection deepens with each encounter. But as masks hide truths, Evie wonders—who is Angelo really, and who does she want him to be?
Buy the book now: Bookshop.org | Amazon | Barnes & Noble
Overruled by Lana Ferguson
Top divorce attorney Danica Pierce is married to her career, letting work fill the space where love might bring pain. With partnership within reach, her path seems clear—until her secret complicates everything: she’s sleeping with opposing counsel. Charming litigator Ezra Hart can win over any jury but fails repeatedly at convincing Danica their connection deserves more than physical verdicts. As they battle across the courtroom in her most important case, Danica discovers Ezra isn’t the superficial playboy she assumed. Now she must decide which carries greater risk: trusting her heart to someone she considered her enemy, or letting fear win the final argument.
Buy the book now: Bookshop.org | Amazon | Barnes & Noble
Leave A Comment