10 Best New Summer Romances To Keep The Heat Going Through Fall

The calendar may be saying it's almost pumpkin season, but for most of us the weather is still very much summer. Those summertime vibes can be even stronger while we enjoy getting lost in the pages of a good book, and 2026 has been very good to us as far as new summer releases, with many hitting the shelves ranging from lighthearted rom-coms to emotionally charged works, all with a bit of a summer twist.

Summer romance books are essentially a subgenre all their own, giving readers their own refreshing escapes whether we're on vacation or not. Although summery romances may not be the most crucial books to read before you die, many of us will agree that having these escapes into fiction is important. So, as we are coming up on the end of yet another summer, here are a few of the best to add to your TBR shelf.

The Guest Book

By Mae Marvel

The Guest Book by Mae Marvel is a sweet and steamy sapphic romance. It tells the story of Cosima Frank and Edie Whitelock. While on the run from lives they are less than happy with, they meet while both are staying at a small English inn called Gregory Place, where Cosima's parents once met and fell in love.

While the start of the book can be a bit confusing with lots of information thrown at once, it quickly turns into a delightfully interesting and unique story. The looks and gestures between the characters, not to mention the banter, are swoon-worthy as the two uncover the mysteries of the inn's guest book.

How To Write A Love Story

By Catherine Walsh

The delightful How to Write a Love Story by Catherine Walsh follows the story of Ciara Sheridan. Ciara is the daughter of an incredibly famous fantasy author who has recently passed and wanted her to finish his epic series that has a popularity akin to A Song of Ice and Fire by George R. R. Martin or The Wheel of Time by Robert Jordan.

While Ciara is suffering from grief, writer's block, and a bit of impostor syndrome, her editor Sam travels from New York to her home in Ireland to spend the summer working with her to get the book completed. Its sweet slow-burn romance puts us in a charming small Irish beach town where we see the two forming a connection.

How to Write a Love Story is a fast summer read that is incredibly bingeable, and the book's ending caught me completely off-guard.

The Someday Garden

By Ashley Poston

Taking a job to revitalize the grounds at Lilymoor House over the summer, Sophie's last thought is of finding love there. In fact, she takes the job because she is dealing with the loss of someone close to her, and Lilymoor House is the one place she feels closest to her lost friend while she heals.

In this magical realism romantic fantasy, you are whisked away to a summery garden full of fragrant flowers and even a hedge maze. But even better is the mysterious garden that can only be found by stepping through a door that never appears in the same place twice. Inside, she finds an unfinished garden and a grumpy man who's trapped there.

While the romance is beautifully written, the book takes a tender look at the heaviness of grief and the feelings that can come with it. Sophie's character feels real as she is working through grief and healing. The Someday Garden may make you cry and come apart, but it will put you back together in the end.

Into The Blue

By Emma Brodie

Into the Blue by Emma Brodie takes us back to the summer of 2000 when AJ and Noah first meet. Despite both coming from very different backgrounds, they connect over a love of acting, and a natural talent and chemistry that the two have while on stage. Unfortunately, circumstances and personal fears tear them apart.

Over the years that follow, there is a definite push and pull as we follow their love story of ups and downs, connections and miscommunications. It includes many time jumps as the two yearn for each other, but often struggle to truly connect. Ultimately, it's as compelling as it is heartbreaking, and will keep you glued to the pages as you ride along with the story.

Hallie's Rules For A Recovering Romantic

By Jessica Lewis

Hallie's Rules for a Recovering Romantic is a YA sapphic rom-com by Jessica Lewis. After Hallie's had her heart broken six times, she heads to an academic summer camp with plans for a fresh start in life and staying as far from romance as she can for the whole summer. Her gorgeous roommate Julia makes that a bit harder, though, especially as they begin to become closer.

It's a delightful story of personal growth and overcoming the need to be perfect. A wholesome coming-of-age story that touches on a lot of important topics while telling a sweet grumpy/sunshine slow-burn story.

In Stormy Weather

By Chelsea Curto

Chelsea Curto's latest rivals-to-lovers romance, In Stormy Weather, is a tale of storm-chasing meteorologists during Florida's hurricane season. Quincy has worked tirelessly to gain success in the male-dominated field and is excited for a new job opportunity until her past rival, Sebastian, comes back into the picture.

He's her best friend's brother and a flashy TV weatherman from New York, and Quincy feels he poses a threat to her career goals. Both characters are incredibly smart, and their banter and rivalry add so much to the yearning and tension in this book. It's a book you'll want to binge-read while you giggle your way through each page.

The Summer Girlfriend

By Kristina Forest

If you're a fan of fake dating tropes, you will definitely want to check out The Summer Girlfriend by Kristina Forest. Noelle needs money to get back to college, and wealthy Jeremiah of the Smith's Sweets dynasty finds himself in need of a girlfriend to bring to his family's summer house. Naturally, the two come to an agreement that will be mutually beneficial.

Naturally, over the course of the summer, Noelle and Jeremiah both find themselves wanting a lot more than just a fake relationship. Plus, the setting of this book is so picturesque that you can easily picture yourself at a New Jersey beach house.

The Second Chance Summer

By Rose Graceling-Moore

Ana finds herself on a three-month leave of absence from her dream career in an attempt to convince her boss that she still has what it takes after being accused of burnout. But The Second Chance Summer does more than just allow her to relax on the beautiful coast of Italy.

After finding that the hostel she loved when she was younger is falling apart, she and the handyman, Luca, work together to save it. Despite the fact that the grumpy Luca had previously broken her heart ten years prior. The story is told in dual timelines, so we get to see not only what happened with Luca but also Ana's memories of the hostel that she's trying to save.

The setting feels alive, particularly with the charming hostel and town that makes you just want to hop on a plane and go there. It gives readers the feeling of a sweet Hallmark movie rom-com, and is an easy book to pick up and binge-read in a cozy chair with a smile on your face.

Our Perfect Storm

By Carley Fortune

Carley Fortune is easily one of the biggest names when it comes to summer romance books, especially with Prime Video's Every Summer After being an adaptation of her books. So, it should come as little surprise that she has yet another incredible summer novel for 2026.

Our Perfect Storm tells the story of best friends, Frankie and George, who have been each other's person ever since they were eight years old. After Frankie is dumped on the day of her wedding, George convinces her not to let the honeymoon go to waste, and that summer the two of them go on a one-week trip to the stunningly gorgeous beaches of Tofino. George has everything planned out to help heal Frankie's heart, but the buried feelings they have for each other might get in the way.

Rules For The Summer

By Meghan Quinn

Perhaps the ultimate in silly romantic comedies, Rules for the Summer by Meghan Quinn is a long book, but still remarkably easy to binge-read with the constant humor sprinkled throughout. And, it's free right now on Kindle Unlimited.

Renley needs money to restore and open her candy shop in small town America, while Theo is the son of a wealthy Duke in England, and he finds himself needing to get a wife. After an absurd misunderstanding brings them together, the two spend the summer together working on the candy store and their own personal traumas.

It is ridiculous in all the best ways, and will have you rooting for both characters, as well as side characters Aunt Kitty and Rupert, the whole time in this compelling summer romance book.