20 Romances I've Read This Summer
it has been a summer of easy, breezy, swoony reads for me this year (more than ever, i’d say!) and i’m rounding up 20 that i’ve read over the last few months to give you some great recs! all are affiliate linked, and check out my specific recs below if you’re looking for more guidance on where to start.
ps— all of my reviews for these reads are on my bookstagram! also — all links are amazon affiliate links, so any purchases made once clicked will put a few pennies in my pocket. thanks in advance for your support!
wondering where to start?
here are some suggestions:
if you love family-based series where every character gets their own book, check out the bergman brothers series by chloe liese (if only you is book #6!) or the edens series by devney perry (crimson river is book #5). the
if you’re into cowboys and small towns, elsie silver’s chestnut springs series is for you! (heartless is book #2).
if you like hiking and adorable, queer, grumpy-sunshine love stories, something wild and wonderful is perfect.
if you like your romance more on the mild side, sarah adams is the author for you! read when in rome first, then practice makes perfect.
and if you like your romance out of this world steamy and pretty bonkers, ice planet barbarians is for you!
if you like second chance romances, try forget me not!
if you’re the kind of person who would totally find themselves accidentally on a seniors cruise with their parents, read jasmine and jake rock the boat!
if you want to feel like you’re back at summer camp even as an adult, read that summer feeling!
so, you’ve heard about this enneagram thing, and you’re curious to dive in, but you don’t know where to start? you’re in the right place! i’ve rounded up great book recs for the beginner or deeper dive suggestions if you want to learn more. let’s dive in!
if you’re wondering “what are the best bookstores in virginia?” look no further — i’ve got you covered!
get ready for 2026 with the 8th annual edition of a rad reading challenge! nine prompts and one year to stretch yourself in your reading.
get ready for 2025 with the 7th annual edition of a rad reading challenge! nine prompts and one year to stretch yourself in your reading.
i firmly believe books are the very best gifts, even if nobody ever gets them for me because they think i have too many! not true!!! anyway. i’ve turned to gifting books to my people in hopes that it inspires them to return the favor… and also because as previously stated, i believe books are the best gifts.
in this guide, you’ll find 72 total recommendations, with 12 each in the following categories:
🍂cozy/comforting
🧙🏼♀️witches/hexes
🔥sweet/spicy
🩸murder/mystery
🧑🏻🏫academic settings
🧌creature features
looking for your next read in the river city? look no further — here are 5 of my most favorite and most frequented bookstores in the richmond, va area!
i am so excited about this year’s guide — it’s a really fun blend of book recs for all kinds of readers, and i implemented so many of your suggestions which makes it even better! plus, these recs aren’t just from me…
april was the month i read the steamiest book of my life (still not over it, i loved it) and returned to enneagram books and read 4 five star reads… a solid month, overall!
ahhh, the sweet, sweet feeling of coming out of a reading slump! I AM BACK IN ACTION and crushing 15 books (with SIX of them racking up five stars) felt SO GOOD. march was great! yay books!
february felt like a reading SLUMP even though, sure, i read 11 books (6 of them were novellas!). i didn’t have FUN reading this month…
if you’ve never read wendell berry or are newer to his body of work, here’s a guide on which book to start with (as well as a complete list of all of this works across genres)