Heartfelt Summer Reads for Modern Romantics
New Romance Books Spanning Every Style This Summer
If you live for love stories—whether sweet and slow, steamy and intense, or anything in between—you’re a Modern Romantic. At Bookfinity, we connect you with romance books that match your mood and keep your heart racing.
This summer, from June through August, discover fresh releases across every romance subgenre. From contemporary to historical, from enemies-to-lovers to second-chance love, these books promise all the swoons, sparks, and happy endings you crave.
August New Releases
Songs for Other People's Weddings
by David Levithan - Jens Lekman
"Witty, romantic, and deeply satisfying." --Emma Straub, New York Times bestselling author of This Time Tomorrow
From award-winning, bestselling author David Levithan and beloved, acclaimed singer-songwriter Jens Lekman comes a charming, tender novel about an unlucky-in-love wedding singer trying to find the right words to save his relationship
J is an accidental wedding singer. Unlike most wedding singers, he writes an original song for every couple--his way of finding out about the small, strange things that brought them together and the hopeful, vulnerable feelings they're experiencing.
J's own love life is in a state of flux. His girlfriend is off to New York for work, and as her life grows bigger and busier without him in it, he finds it harder to stick to a happy tune. He doesn't know whether to encourage the soon-to-be-wed couples or warn them.
When complications hit and love is tested, is there any way to sing through all the noise?
Combining David Levithan's deeply observant storytelling and Jens Lekman's inventive and touching original songs, Songs for Other People's Weddings is a tender, honest novel that tracks love through all its chord changes, never forgetting that the best songs contain the bitter and the sweet, the despair of losing it all and the euphoria of being found.
"Surprising, funny, compassionate--Songs for Other People's Weddings Is not just lyrical, it sings." --Steven Rowley, New York Times bestselling author of The Celebrants and The Guncle
"A hilarious, heartfelt, and tremendously wise exploration of love in all its beguiling and bittersweet absurdity." --Grant Ginder, author of The People We Hate at the Wedding
Moderation
by Elaine Castillo
A bold and inventive novel about real romance in the virtual workplace--bringing Castillo's trademark wit and sharp cultural criticism to an irresistible story about the possible future of love.
Girlie Delmundo is the greatest content moderator in the world, and despite the setbacks of financial crises, climate catastrophe, and a global pandemic, she's going places: she's getting a promotion. Now thanks to her parent company Paragon's purchase of Fairground--the world's preeminent virtual reality content provider--she's on the way to becoming an elite VR moderator, playing in the big leagues and, if her enthusiastic bosses are to be believed, moderating the next stage of human interaction.
Despite the isolation that virtual reality requires from colleagues, friends, and family, the unbelievable perks of her new job mean she can solve a lot of her family's problems with money and mobility. She doesn't have to think about the childhood home they lost back in the Bay Area, or history at all--she can just pay any debts that come due. But when she meets William Cheung, Playground's wry, reticent co-founder (now Chief Product Officer) and slowly unearths some of his secrets, and finds herself somehow falling in love, she'll learn that history might be impossible to moderate and the future utterly impossible to control.
Warrior Princess Assassin (Standard Edition)
by Brigid Kemmerer
Warrior Princess Assassin is... "Your next obsession." --Hannah Nicole Maehrer - "Addictive... Readers will devour this one!" --Danielle L. Jensen - "The perfect blend of thrilling magic, sizzling romance, and pulse-pounding action." --Elise Kova - "A story unlike any you've consumed before. And trust me--it's delicious."--Jodi Picoult
Fates collide and passions ignite in New York Times bestselling author Brigid Kemmerer's steamy adult fantasy debut about three characters torn between chasing, betraying, and craving each other: a princess caught between duty and desire, the fearsome warrior king she's promised to, and the assassin tasked with hunting them down.
WARRIOR. King Maddox Kyronan's fire magic has earned him a ruthless reputation on the battlefield, but now his land is slowly burning. Ky's only chance to save his people is to enter a marriage alliance with the neighboring nation of Astranza, and hope that their royal family's power to manipulate the weather will help his kingdom flourish once more. He just needs to ensure no one finds out how this blaze began.
PRINCESS. With enemies advancing on Astranza, Princess Jory's home needs the protection of the fearsome warrior king, but she is hiding a dangerous secret: her family's magic is fading. Tempting as it is to reject her duties and run away with her childhood friend, Asher, Jory knows that she is the kingdom's last hope. When she meets her intended, Jory is surprised to discover that beneath Ky's daunting exterior is a compassionate and sharp-witted man who sets her heart aflame. But what will he do when he realizes she's deceiving him?
ASSASSIN. Asher's done what he must to survive, even if that means getting his hands dirty. Once a young nobleman in Astranza's palace, where he and Jory caused mischief together, now he's part of the Hunter's Guild, employing much darker skills. When a lucrative job comes his way, Asher can't say no--until he discovers the targets. Someone wants Jory and Ky dead. With the Guild watching, Asher must decide what he's willing to do to protect the woman he loves and the maddening king who keeps getting under his skin.
Warrior Princess Assassin marks the beginning of a thrilling new fantasy trilogy filled with enchantment, adventure, and passionate romance.
Heart Strings
by Ivy Fairbanks
A sizzling exes-to-lovers second- chance romance from the author of Morbidly Yours, the "sweet, spicy, and fabulous" (Abby Jimenez, #1 New York Times bestselling author) TikTok sensation
She doesn't do second chances. But he's not done writing their song.
Cielo "Lo" Valdez doesn't believe in second chances. Surviving cancer taught her life is too short to spend time on someone who wronged you. But Aidan O'Toole is determined to show her life is best spent together.
When the tough-as-nails Texan moved to Galway for medical school, she wasn't looking for love. Aidan, a gorgeous, tattooed, mandolin-playing lawyer, slipped past her defenses. They each fell hard and fast. But when Aidan was given the opportunity of a lifetime--to move to London and record an album--he took it, breaking Lo's heart. Yet more than two years and a successful album later, every song he writes is still about her, the one he let get away. And every time Lo hears his voice on the radio singing about love, it's an arrow straight to her soul.
Now they're on a collision course as maid of honor and best man at a weekend-long Irish castle wedding. Are some mistakes worth forgiving? Can Aidan convince Lo their song wasn't meant to end?
Accomplice to the Villain
by Hannah Nicole Maehrer
Don't miss out on the stunning DELUXE LIMITED EDITION while supplies last. This breathtaking collectible is only available on a limited first print run in the U.S. and Canada, a must-have for any book lover.
THE INSTANT #1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLING SERIES
Once Upon a Time meets The Office in Hannah Nicole Maehrer's laugh-out-loud viral TikTok series turned novel, about the sunshine assistant to an Evil Villain...and their unexpected romance.
REWARD OFFERED: Apprentice to The Villain wanted for treason (light), magical property damage (alleged), and one incident involving a weaponized scone (accurate). Frequently seen with a grumpy frog (crowned, judgmental). Answers to "Evie" or "Stop that."
Evie Sage didn't mean to become the right-hand woman to the kingdom's most terrifying villain. One minute, she was applying for an entry-level position that promised "light paperwork and occasional beheadings," and the next, she was knee-deep in magical mayhem, murder plots, and an entirely inappropriate crush on her brooding, sharp-jawed, walking disaster of a boss.
Now, with a magical prophecy unraveling, assassins showing up in the break room, and a suspicious amount of frogs wearing crowns, Evie has to figure out how to survive her job without setting the kingdom on fire--or her dignity, which is hanging by a very sarcastic thread.
Being evil-adjacent was never part of the five-year plan. But then again...neither was falling for The Villain.
A magical office comedy with grumpy bosses, snarky frogs, and definitely-not-feelings.
The Assistant and the Villain series is best enjoyed in order.
Reading Order:
Book #1 Assistant to the Villain
Book #2 Apprentice to the Villain
Book #3 Accomplice to the Villain
He Falls First
by Jill Shalvis
"The perfect escape! You'll fall for He Falls First!" --Lucy Score, #1 New York Times bestselling author
No one is going to convince her to fall in love again...
Penny Rose has learned her lesson and now she's paying the price. That's why she's sharing a dilapidated house in a tiny California town with her feisty grandmother and tween brother living off the leftovers from her catering job. It's a far cry from her dream life. But who needs dreams... or love... or sex when there's amateur plumbing projects to tackle and breakfast casseroles to bake?
One thing's for sure, she's never falling in love again. Not even with the sexy, snarky contractor who keeps testing the walls she's built.
Ryder Colburn has his hands full running the family business and caring for the ailing father who's a virtual stranger from the cold, heavy-handed man he used to be. He's got zero free time for hobbies or women. Or so he thinks until one walks into his life... and the path of an oncoming car.
Ryder doesn't mind playing the hero for the skittish, independent woman. Maybe it's the secrets in her eyes or the scar on her chin. Whatever the reason, he's compelled to get closer.
July New releases
Overruled
by Lana Ferguson
Two divorce lawyers determined to share only beds but not hearts discover that love is something that can't be overruled in this steamy contemporary romance by Lana Ferguson, USA Today bestselling author of The Game Changer.
Danica Pierce has one great love in her life: work. As one of the top divorce lawyers in Austin, Danica lets her caseload keep her warm at night and has no problem being married to her job, not when love only ends in hurt. When the biggest case of her career gives her a shot at making partner, it seems like nothing could possibly stand in her way...except for her infuriating secret: she's sleeping with the enemy.
The Enchanted Greenhouse
by Sarah Beth Durst
A #1 LIBARYREADS PICK!
AN INDIE NEXT PICK!
DELUXE EDITION--a gorgeous hardcover edition featuring beautiful mint green sprayed edges!
New York Times bestselling author Sarah Beth Durst invites you to her new standalone novel set in the world of The Spellshop! Follow her to The Enchanted Greenhouse, a cozy fantasy nestled on a far-away island brimming with singing flowers, honey cakes, and honeyed love. The hardcover edition features beautiful sprayed edges.
Terlu Perna broke the law because she was lonely. She cast a spell and created a magically sentient spider plant. As punishment, she was turned into a wooden statue and tucked away into an alcove in the North Reading Room of the Great Library of Alyssium.
Maid for Each Other
by Lynn Painter
A millionaire and a house cleaner are a match maid in heaven in this sparkling new romantic comedy by Lynn Painter, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Happily Never After.
As a professional cleaner, Abi Mariano never thought her apartment would have any sort of infestation, but because of a building-wide outbreak, she now needs somewhere to stay for a week. As a part-time student with two jobs, she doesn't have many options. Then the solution presents itself: the owner of the penthouse she cleans is out of town for the week. She normally wouldn't consider it, but he's literally never around (she hasn't even met him). It goes great...until one morning she finds two strangers in the kitchen. They're the parents of the penthouse owner and they seem to think they've heard all about Abi--not as their son's maid, but as his girlfriend.
Totally and Completely Fine
by Elissa Sussman
From the bestselling author of Funny You Should Ask comes an inspiring romance novel about honoring the past, living in the present, and loving for the future.
In her small Montana hometown, Lauren Parker has assumed a few different roles: teenage hell-raiser, sister of superstar Gabe Parker, and most recently, tragically widowed single mother. She's never cared much about labels or what people thought of her, but dealing with her grief over the loss of her husband, Spencer, has slowly revealed that she's adrift in her own life.
These Summer Storms
by Sarah MacLean
From New York Times bestselling author Sarah MacLean, a razor-sharp, wildly sexy novel about a wealthy New England family's long-overdue reckoning . . . and the one week that threatens to tear them apart.
Alice Storm hasn't been welcome at her family's magnificent private island off the Rhode Island coast in five years--not since she was cast out and built her life beyond the Storm name, influence, and untold billions. But the shocking death of her larger-than-life father changes everything.
Love Is a War Song
by Danica Nava
A Muscogee pop star and a cowboy who couldn't be more different come together to strike a deal in this new romantic comedy by Danica Nava, USA Today bestselling author of The Truth According to Ember.
Pop singer Avery Fox has become a national joke after posing scantily clad on the cover of Rolling Stone in a feather warbonnet. What was meant to be a statement of her success as a Native American singer has turned her into a social pariah and dubbed her a fake. With threats coming from every direction and her career at a standstill, she escapes to her estranged grandmother Lottie's ranch in Oklahoma. Living on the rez is new to Avery--not only does she have to work in the blazing summer heat to earn her keep, but the man who runs Lottie's horse ranch despises her and wants her gone.
June New Releases
It's a Love Story
by Annabel Monaghan
"Poignant, funny, and bingeable, Annabel Monaghan writes five star reads." --Abby Jimenez
From the USA Today bestselling author of Nora Goes Off Script, a novel about a former adolescent TV actress-turned-Hollywood producer whose "fake it till you make it" mantra sets her on a crash course with her past, forcing her to spend a week on Long Island with the last man she thinks might make her believe in love.
Love is a lie. Laughter is the only truth.
Jane Jackson spent her adolescence as "Poor Janey Jakes," the barbecue-sauce-in-her-braces punch line on America's fifth-favorite sitcom. Now she's trying to be taken seriously as a Hollywood studio executive by embracing a new mantra: Fake it till you make it.
Total Dreamboat
by Katelyn Doyle
From the author of Just Some Stupid Love Story, an IRRESISTIBLE ROM-COM about what happens when a cruise ship romance goes...overboard
Hope Lanover needs a vacation. Her relationship has imploded, her creative ambitions have flatlined, and she can't seem to locate the badass girl she used to be. So when her best friend invites her on a luxury cruise, she goes along with it, despite decidedly not being a cruise person.
Felix Segrave, a sober, determinedly single, workaholic chef, hates leaving his restaurant and routine. But when his parents surprise him and his sisters with cruise tickets, he can't say no--he's disappointed them too many times in his troubled past.
A Mother's Love
by Danielle Steel
A devoted mother outrunning a troubled childhood and adapting to an empty nest is tested in ways she never expected in this suspenseful novel by #1 New York Times bestselling author Danielle Steel.
On the occasion of her daughter Valerie's wedding and her upcoming fiftieth birthday, bestselling author Halley Holbrook finds herself reflecting. Raising twins Valerie and Olivia is her proudest accomplishment. Halley has been able to give them the loving and safe home she never had, having survived a childhood so traumatic she's never talked about it with her girls. Long ago, Halley decided to live in the sunlight of the present, not the dark shadows of the past.
Hidden Nature
by Nora Roberts
The #1 New York Times-bestselling author presents a novel about an injured cop who must fight to bring down a pair of twisted killers...
Natural Resources police officer, Sloan Cooper, and her partner had just taken down three men preying on hikers in the Western Maryland mountains. Driving back, she pulled in at a convenience store--and walked right into a robbery in progress. One gunshot from a jittery thief was about to change her world.
After being shocked back to life on the operating table, she has a long recovery ahead, so she moves back to her parents' peaceful house in Heron's Rest. As for the boyfriend who dumped her via text while she was in the hospital, good riddance.
Mansion Beach
by Meg Mitchell Moore
From national bestselling author Meg Mitchell Moore comes a sparkling new novel following a young woman entwined in the opulent lives of her neighbors on Block Island, set against a backdrop of scandal, secrets, and a not-so-subtle love triangle, perfect for readers of The Wedding People and Pineapple Street.
"If you're looking for THE beach book of summer, here it is: Mansion Beach by Meg Mitchell Moore." --Elin Hilderbrand, #1 New York Times bestselling author
"An unputdownable modern-day take on The Great Gatsby. I gobbled it up." --J. Courtney Sullivan, New York Times bestselling author
It's the beginning of the summer, and Nicola Carr has just arrived on Block Island, RI, eager for a fresh start and some R&R. But her plans for a tranquil summer are derailed as the extravagant parties from the grand home next door pique her curiosity. She soon discovers the home belongs to Juliana George, an enigmatic entrepreneur with a past shrouded in mystery.
Juliana George, CEO and founder of a hot fashion-tech company, is at the top of her game. She's spending the summer on Block Island preparing for a major IPO. But she's chasing her dreams in more ways than one. This summer she hopes to rekindle a flame with a man from her past--a man who has a surprising connection to her neighbor Nicola.
When Javi Dumped Mari
by Mia Sosa
A Most Anticipated Book of 2025
One engagement. Two best friends. Three's a crowd.
On the eve of their college graduation, best friends Javier Báez and Marisol Campos swore never to date someone the other doesn't approve of. Now, almost a decade later, Javi has a problem. Mari, the woman he's secretly pined for since sophomore year, is engaged--and Javi didn't even get the chance to vet the Pedro Pascal knockoff she plans to marry.