New Contemporary Romance Books for Adults
Explore Our Handpicked Titles for Summer 2026
Get ready to swoon! Summer is absolute peak season for contemporary romance books and new releases in general. Offering emotional depth, witty banter and undeniable chemistry, these sweet and sultry books explore the beautiful complexities of modern love. Dive into compelling, heartwarming reads from storytellers like Danielle Steele, Mary Kay Andrews, Beatriz Williams and others.
To make sure your heart skips a beat for all the right reasons, our in-house editorial team tracks trending titles, sorting through advance reviews, high-demand presales data and librarian recommendations to select the most delicious can't-miss love stories and romantasies for our Modern Romantic Reader Type.
August 2026 New Romance Books
The Magic We Made
by Meg Cabot
She doesn't believe in magic. He is magic. But when they meet, a spark is lit, and neither will ever be the same--in this charming new stand-alone in the Witches of West Harbor series from New York Times bestselling author Meg Cabot.
Frankie
A trained therapist, Francesca Giovanni knows there's a scientific explanation for everything. Unfortunately, she lives in West Harbor, CT, a town that's recently exploded in popularity thanks to "witch tourism." Suddenly, witches are everywhere, offering locals their psychic services. Frankie's fine with this...until aspiring teenage witches begin to disappear, and strange things start happening in the lake house next door. Frankie suspects not all newcomers to West Harbor have the good of the community in mind--especially not her new neighbor, Ash Merit.
Ash
Ash Merit finds lost things (and people) for a living. All he wants is to help his clients, and maybe get to know the stunningly beautiful (and newly single) Dr. Frankie Giovanni a little better. But thanks to some troublesome young witches -- not to mention his often faulty psychic "superpower" -- everything goes wrong. If only Frankie wasn't so distractingly attractive ... and so unwilling to admit there might not be a logical reason for everything, including the flames that ignite whenever the two of them kiss. Ash hopes to change that, but first he and Frankie have to find the missing girls, as well as the truth about what's happening in West Harbor, a truth that could change everything they thought they knew about themselves and the magic of love.
Steelborn (Standard Edition)
by Taylor J Larue
Introducing an epic, slow burn enemies-to-lovers romantasy novel about a heroine forged in steel and rage and the cursed immortal who might turn out to be as much her salvation as she is his, perfect for fans of Danielle L. Jensen and Callie Hart.
Never run. Never bow. Never die.
Reya Connery became the Crimson Dagger, the most notorious thief in Rhiterra, by following a strict set of rules. One: There is no honor among thieves. Two: A good blade is key to any negotiation. Three: Only the dead keep secrets. And Reya has a secret that must be kept at all costs. But when a heist goes wrong on the eve of paying off her debt to a ruthless crime lord, Reya may need a new set of rules. And lots of coin. Fast.
Enter Caelan Halcyon, an immortal warrior whose magic makes him a valuable target--if the curse inching closer to his heart doesn't kill him first. There's just one person who might be desperate enough to try and get their hands on the fabled cure in time to save his life, someone whose legend claims they can steal anything: the Crimson Dagger. A male of honor, Caelan loathes everything the beautiful, cocky thief represents, yet knows that Reya is his last hope for survival.
Their search takes them to the edge of the known world, where Reya discovers that there is far more at stake than her and Caelan's own lives. Now, Reya must confront deadly foes, her growing attraction to the immortal who is as lethal as his jawline is perfect and the rage she's spent a lifetime trying to bury. This time, her daggers aren't going to cut it, and the fate of all magic-born hangs in the balance.
Enter a world ruled by tyrants and thieves, where magic is outlawed, revolution brews, desire is dangerous and an impossible cure may prove deadlier than the curse.
How to Lose a Lord in Ten Days
by Sophie Irwin
'Sophie Irwin is an exciting and original voice. She's a must-buy author for me.' Taylor Jenkins Reid
'I simply couldn't put this book down. Joyous, hilarious and full of sparkling enemies-to-lovers tension, it has everything you could want in a regency romcom' - Beth O'Leary, The Flat Share
He wants a wife. She wants to be jilted. This. Is. War.
Rich, handsome and titled Lord Ashford has every lady in England longing for his hand in marriage.
Everyone, that is, except Miss Lydia Hanworth - the only young woman Ashford wishes to marry.
Pressured into accepting Ashford's proposal, the announcement must be kept secret for ten days. Can Lydia free herself from her obligations before the engagement is publicly announced, without ruining her reputation? You can achieve an awful lot in ten days, after all...
'I simply couldn't put this book down. Joyous, hilarious and full of sparkling enemies-to-lovers tension, it has everything you could want' Beth O'Leary, Swept Away
See You at the Sunset (Original)
by Susan Lee
"When I want utterly romantic novels ... Susan Lee is the author I go for!" -- Ali Hazelwood, New York Times bestselling author on Julia Song is Undateable
Two enemies-to-lovers, one unforgettable summer escape ...
Jia Chung is living the dream ... until she gets fired from her job, yet again. With her mom breathing down her neck to move home, she needs an escape, fast. When Mimi, her beloved grandmother, invites her to spend the summer in Palm Springs, Jia jumps at the chance. Staying at Sunset Hills Senior Living Community is exactly where a free spirit like Jia can thrive, among people living their best, sun-soaked, fun-filled lives. So what if they're all octogenarians?
Henry Shin lives by the rules. It's what overworked corporate lawyers do. They don't fly off to Palm Springs to help their grandfathers move into a new home. But Dennis is Henry's only family. How else can Henry make sure he's settled and safe? The boisterous Zumba classes, daily happy hours and spicy book clubs were a surprise though. And at the center, leading the charge, is a bright, vivacious stunner named Jia Chung. The same face he'd had a one-night stand with a few months back. And the same woman Henry was forced to terminate at his company the morning after.
As carefree days turn into hot, steamy nights, the chemistry between Henry and Jia ignites. But when the real world beckons, should what happens at the Sunset stay at the Sunset?
"Charming contemporary romance perfect for the dog days of summer." -- Publishers Weekly
Devil Inside (Original)
by Clay McLeod Chapman
"A stunning, blood-soaked gem of a horror romance..." -- Thea Guanzon
"This is horror and heartbreak at its finest." -- Kylie Lee Baker
A man who's back from the dead meets a woman who's from somewhere even worse in Clay McLeod Chapman's new horrormance about love, possession and just a little murder.
After a traumatic accident that almost cost Jordan his life, he's finally starting to feel normal again. Well, maybe not normal. Everything tastes like ash, and when he looks at the people around him, their faces start to melt. At least he's not dead, right? His friends are doing their best to get him back on his feet, maybe find someone to talk to, perhaps even find someone to take his mind off his last failed relationship.
Then, he meets Lilith. The two share an instant connection but after a wild and passionate night together, she ghosts him. Jordan searches the city for Lilith, desperate to see her again. But when a woman claiming to be Lilith shows up, wearing a different face but knowing intimate details about Jordan, he worries he's losing his grip on reality. As he grows closer to this mysterious woman, he discovers that happily ever afters sometimes come at a cost. How far will Lilith take him, and how much darkness will he embrace to find love?
Queen of Shadow
by P. C. Cast
From #1 New York Times and #1 USA Today bestselling author P. C. Cast, a passionate and magical epic bringing alive Celtic legend, perfect for romantasy fans who love Sue Lynn Tan and Thea Guanzon and historical fantasy fans of Madeline Miller.
Step into the mystical world of the Isle of Skye in 200 BCE where legends come to life, goddess and gods walk the mortal earth and the Queen of Shadow holds court. But Scáthach is no ordinary queen. Daughter of the Underworld goddess Bēfionn, golden-haired Scáthach is not just a brilliant trainer of warriors, her divine mother has gifted her with the ability to pass between the living world and the Underworld and has granted her dominion over shadows.
Scáthach dedicates her life to training the most talented warriors from across the ancient world at Dunscaith Castle, her impenetrable fortress on the magical Isle of Skye. When Cuchulainn, the Hero of Ulster, son of the Irish god Lugh, arrives asking to become one of her students, Scáthach reluctantly agrees to train him, even though she has serious misgivings about his violent past and the mindless berserker who sleeps within him and whose rage, once awakened, has always been uncontrollable ... until the Hero of Ulster meets the Queen of Shadow. Scáthach soon realizes Cuchulainn is much more than the brutal, emotionless warrior everyone expects him to be. And the Hero of Ulster begins to believe he might take control of and even change his foretold fate.
As their growing attraction deepens, Cuchulainn's father, the God of Light, forces him to retrieve a weapon that will seal Cuchulainn's fate and forever take him away from the Queen of Shadow. But when Scáthach joins him on the quest through the most dangerous and disturbing parts of the Underworld, Scáthach discovers that her fate may lie in the Underworld and, perhaps, she might be able to forge a future for herself and Cuchulainn by tricking death herself. …
World's Okayest Oracle (Reluctantly) Seeks Demon
by Olivia Dade
An oracle who can see the future teams up with the far-too-hot demon from her past to avert catastrophe, in this steamy paranormal romance from the USA Today bestselling author of Zomromcom.
Gwen Wexloff might be able to see the future, but not when it matters. Her visions invariably involve piddling issues, which means--unlike most oracles--she's spent her life predicting for everyday humans instead of international power brokers. After a clutch of brain-slurping zombies escapes from their walled-off compound, though, Gwen experiences the first genuinely world-altering vision of her life ... and now she needs help.
Unfortunately, that help comes from Hugh Blacke, the same starchy (but annoyingly cute) demon who watched her bomb her oracle verification test years ago. To Gwen's dismay, the two of them will need to work together to unravel the deadly conspiracy behind the zombie breach, despite their complicated past and the secrets they're keeping.
Even with her newfound power, she couldn't have foreseen how quickly they'd both want more than a simple partnership. But the clock is ticking--and with the fate of humanity at stake, Gwen and Hugh will have to decide how much they're willing to risk for an unexpected, passionate love ... and a future together that might prove very short indeed.
July 2026 New Romance Books
Vera Stein Is Fine
by Julie Murphy
From #1 New York Times bestseller Julie Murphy comes a heartfelt and hilarious tale of a woman who thinks life and love have passed her by until she's thrown into her grandmother's quirky world of octogenarian free love and gets a second chance with the one man she never expected to see again. Perhaps it's never too late to play the opening credits ...
Welcome to Starlight Palms, a favorite retirement facility among Hollywood actors and industry professionals tucked away just outside of sunny Palm Springs. Filled with forgotten scream queens, eccentric screenwriters and heartthrobs of the past, it has a brand-new resident: Vera Stein, age forty.
Vera knows she's missed her chance at a life worthy of the silver screen, just like she missed her chance at ever finding true love. But Vera isn't one to take chances. She's spent most of her adult years caretaking for her dying mother and her movie star boss's ego. Now abruptly houseless and jobless, Vera has nowhere to land, so to grandmother's house we go!
The Starlight Palms Senior Living Center is midcentury Hollywood down to its pastel-painted bones. This desert gem isn't lacking in saucy plot twists (swinging seniors, anyone?) or a leading man: Elias Buckley, the on-site doctor and Vera's former ill-fated college fling and--for reasons that will stay in Vegas -- legally her ex-husband according to the state of Nevada.
It's not long before Vera falls into a job as the activities coordinator and under the spell of a certain smart-mouthed doctor ... Suddenly all those empty years in LA look less like mistakes and a lot more like backstory. With a fresh start at her fingertips, Vera begins to see that even with all the detours she's taken, there's still a Hollywood ending (and maybe even a happily ever after) in sight …
Love You More
by Emily Giffin
A woman is newly engaged to a man she adores when she receives a call from her first love with news that shatters her carefully ordered world, in this emotionally powerful novel from the #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Summer Pact.
Billie has built the perfect life. Her medical practice in New York City is thriving, and she's finally found the right partner in Dean after years spent trying to move on from her high-school sweetheart, Mick. Their young love had been intense and true, but distance and ambition pulled them apart when she left Wisconsin for medical school.
Then one morning, just after she's accepted Dean's romantic marriage proposal, Billie's phone rings. It's Mick--calling for the first time in nearly a decade. His news is urgent and in a moment, everything changes.
As Billie boards a plane back to Wisconsin, her past comes rushing in--her hometown friendships, the love she and Mick shared, and the choices that shaped them all. What awaits her is a reckoning with what she's lost, what she's built and what she still wants.
Gripping and deeply moving, Love You More is a story about the plot twists life throws at us and how love, in all its forms, has the power to change everything.
The Final Score
by Lana Ferguson
A hockey player and a grad student are on thin ice until they meet their match in this sexy romance by USA Today bestselling author Lana Ferguson.
Jack Baker is on top of the world now that he's back on the rink where he belongs. But the high comes crashing down when he reinjures his arm immediately following his return to the ice, and this time, he might never be able to play again. After a lifetime as the strong, happy hockey guy whose sister needed him, Jack is left questioning everything he knows about himself.
Abigail Thompson feels like she's hit rock bottom. It's only been a few months since the massive scandal that finally severed the cord between her and her narcissistic father. And now, in her last weeks of grad school, she's been kicked out of her building with very short notice. The last thing she wants to do is ask her half-brother for help after what she's put him through, but it's looking like his best friend's spare room might be her only choice.
Jack is flighty, flirty and a little full of himself, all the things Abby's learned to avoid in men. However, spending every day together breaks the ice between them, and she starts to realize that Jack might not be who he seems. It's possible that maybe, just maybe, he might be struggling as much as she is. Soon, confiding in each other leads to falling into bed, and this fling will either play with their hearts--or score them the ultimate goal of love.
Among the Thorns
by Jennifer K Lambert
Two sorceresses of unrivaled potential clash to claim the greater fate and the heart of prince charming in this deliciously romantic fantasy set in the same world as the USA Today bestselling romantasy Never the Roses by Jennifer K. Lambert.
"Love, magic, heartbreak and healing." -- Sarah Beth Durst, New York Times bestselling author of The Spellshop, on Never the Roses
Ambitious young sorceress Rose of Northbrooke is about to graduate. She's the only known dream sorcerer of her generation and she's a remarkable one. No wonder she has a prince of the realm trailing her skirts.
But when rumors of dream magic gone awry reach her ear, Rose discovers she's not the only oneiromancer of her generation. And she might not be the most powerful.
In a faraway cottage, Thorn has lived a simple and isolated life. She longs to be a part of the world and to be rescued by a prince who could love her with his whole heart. When she discovers there's another dream sorceress out there who owns everything Thorn has ever wanted, she hungers even more for all she's been denied. Everything Rose has.
When Rose and Thorn meet, the outcome is clear: only one sorceress can live out in the open and claim the prince's loving hand... Perhaps, only one can live at all.
Deliciously messy and lusciously romantic, Among the Thorns will pierce your heart.
This hardcover edition includes a beautifully designed map, printed endpapers and a stunning case stamp.
Ungodly Rich
by Katharine McGee
Old gods, new rules. New York Times bestselling author Katharine McGee puts a modern-day twist on ancient mythology in this bold reimagining of the Greek gods as a family of billionaires--with all the messy drama that entails.
When Julia Dodds meets Harry Adams, love hits her like a lightning bolt. He's adventurous, charismatic and impossibly handsome. Little does Julia know that her boyfriend has left out a few key details. His name isn't Harry: it's Ares, as in the ancient god of war. His mother is Hera, and his father is Zeus.
Soon, Julia is caught up in a world of wealth and privilege as she joins Harry at a lavish family reunion. Except these billionaires don't just have wealth--they have divine powers. And the moment she steps onto their private island, Julia becomes their latest target.
It's no secret that the Gods love to meddle, and when it comes to Julia, Harry's immortal relatives each have their own agenda. Harry's mother, Hera, will do anything to protect her own. Harry's sister-in-law Aphrodite has a deeply personal reason for hating Julia and tasks Hermes, keeper of family secrets, with digging up dirt. Meanwhile, Hades has spent years trying to upend Zeus's power--and now he finally sees an opportunity to strike.
Set against a globe-trotting backdrop that sweeps from New York's exclusive private clubs to the wilds of New Zealand to the gated estates of the British aristocracy, Ungodly Rich is a story of love, revenge, secrets, sex and the most ancient motivator of all: family.
Sweet Talk
by Cara Bastone
A booty call gone wrong turns into the most amazing conversation ever. Now can she tell him who she really is? A charming romance from the bestselling author of Ready or Not and Promise Me Sunshine--first time in print in the U.S.!
It's officially booty o'clock and Jessie is alone again in her kitchen, choking down a slice of terrible chocolate cake...and she's pretty sure she just got drunk texted by the man she has a ginormous crush on.
She's been daydreaming about Eliot Hoffman's dimples for two months, and even though she's sure this was a mistake on his end, it doesn't mean it's not an opportunity on hers.
It's the middle of the night, and she just wants to talk to him. So she texted him back. And then somehow they keep talking ... ALL NIGHT. They're both insomniacs, so talking all night soon turns into talking EVERY night. And talking about nothing soon turns into talking about something. And here they go from in-depth analysis of reality TV to her relationship with her family, to his amazing artwork. There's no topic they don't cover . . .
Except for who she really is. It's the only question of his she won't answer. … As Jessie's crush turns into an avalanche of Eliot, she thinks of him all the time now. But if he knew who she was, the entire house of cards they've built this relationship on would come toppling down. She wants him to be hers, but they might never be more than just a sweet dream …
The Red Woman on Mars
by Claire Barner
A Pride and Prejudice retelling, perfect for those looking for a mashup of sci-fi and Bridgerton and speculative romances like The Ministry of Time by Kaliane Bradley.
Vivian Bowen left Earth for Mars, seeking safety and a fresh start after seven long years trapped in a climate refugee camp. She's determined to fulfill her contract as a Red Mother by selecting a Martian partner and bearing genetically modified children to fund her family's survival back on Earth. In sixty days, everything will be secure.
But beneath the glamorous lifestyle of the Martian oligarchs, with luxurious gowns, lavish balls and charming suitors, lies a dark reality. The Red Mothers initiative is controlled by the Intelligence, an AI worshipped as a god, who is indifferent to the pain and suffering the Red Mothers will experience as they carry out their contractual duties.
The last thing Vivian expects is to be drawn to Xavier Dorsey, a charismatic and infuriating Martian politician hell-bent on shutting down the Red Mothers initiative. As Xavier pushes her to imagine a life beyond mere survival, Vivian is torn between her obligation to her family and her own evolving dreams of a different future.
When her younger sister is seduced by a dangerous Martian soldier and breaks her contract--threatening the lives of their family back on Earth--Vivian is forced to act. Joining forces with Xavier and the Intelligence to rescue her sister by infiltrating an enemy Martian dome, Vivian discovers a strength and power inside herself she never knew she had.
Caught between the security she's always craved and a future filled with passion and uncertainty, Vivian must decide how much she's willing to sacrifice for freedom and for love.
Meet Me in Paris
by Kristin Harmel
Kristin Harmel, the New York Times bestselling author of The Book of Lost Names and The Winemaker's Wife, returns with a captivating new novel about several intertwined stories of love, loss, courage and redemption set over the course of one magical week in Paris.
Nine Americans in Paris. Seven intertwined love stories. One City of Light.
Love Actually meets The Notebook in a tale of love, loss and finding your way home, all set over the course of one life-changing week in Paris.
Julia Glover has brought her twenty-three-year-old daughter, Piper, to Paris for the first time--but they know it will also be their last trip here together. Julia is dying, and as the mother and daughter desperately try to make memories together as the clock ticks down, the world opens up around them. Piper meets a cute French waiter, who might just understand her better than anyone she's ever met, and Julia meets a man at a dive bar and struggles with how to tell him the truth about her future.
Rock star Jackson Quick's glory days are behind him. He had a handful of hit songs thirty years ago, but he hasn't toured in a decade. This week, he'll launch his reunion tour in Paris, the city where it all began. But he wants more out of life than being defined by fame. When he meets a woman who finally sees him for who he is at his core, the ground shifts beneath his feet.
Henry McGee has been writing hit songs for decades--including Jackson Quick's biggest hit, City of Light. But his secret is that every love song he's ever written is for a woman named Celeste, whom he loved a lifetime ago, when they were both teenagers in Paris during World War II. He has spent eighty years believing she died--but when a letter arrives telling him the opposite, he's on the first flight to France. Can he break through the haze of her dementia, using the songs he's written all these years, to remind her of who they once were to each other--and to tell her he came back for her?
Henry's granddaughter, Melody, has just discovered that her husband of twenty years, Gilles, a French cosmetics executive, is having an affair. When she confronts him, he tearfully apologizes and begs her to forgive him. But can she? And, perhaps even more importantly, does she want to? Or is there a different kind of life out there for her if she chooses to be alone?
These intertwining stories--plus several others--unfold over a few breathtaking spring days, as an unforgettable group of Americans in Paris must find their way to their own versions of happily ever after in the City of Light.
Helpless
by Jessica Knoll
A NEW YORK TIMES, OPRAH DAILY, CRIME READS, TOWN & COUNTRY AND BOOKPAGE MOST ANTICIPATED BOOK!
From the New York Times bestselling author of Luckiest Girl Alive and Bright Young Women comes a "sexy new thriller" (New York Post) with a "shocking and mindbending" (SheReads) last page.
It's been twelve years since Faye Heron broke Henry Spalding's heart. Henry was her college boyfriend, her first love, but Faye was in danger of being subsumed by him and the intensity of their connection--a connection that took her beyond boundaries she'd only dreamed of crossing.
Now, Faye is one half of a power-producing duo with her Hollywood husband. Henry is a married father running the family business. On the surface, both of their lives have essentially gone to plan.
When a former and beloved college professor suddenly passes away, Faye and Henry find themselves back on campus for the funeral, circling something old and dangerous. Something, if Faye is honest with herself, she has been trying to duplicate for years. But Henry is one of a kind.
- The kind who delivers a hypnotic apology for the way things ended.
- The kind who suggests they go back to the hotel for a drink.
- The kind who drugs and kidnaps her.
When Faye comes to Henry's remote mountain cabin, she's beside herself. Has Henry brought her here to punish her? She did, after all, write and star in a lauded episode of television based on their indelicate appetites and vicious breakup. As her week of captivity unfolds, Henry's wanton demands intensify, and Faye finds herself pulled back into his irresistible gravity. But as Faye and Henry spiral into their old dynamic, a sprawling, years-old mystery begins to take shape--one that will rewrite history as Faye remembers it and reveal an astounding, cataclysmic truth.
Affairs of State
by Calvin James
A lavish vortex of politics and romance among the stars. Levar Boylan is hurled into a world of diplomatic galas and impossibly high stakes to rekindle things with his lover, the demon empress Astrid.
A deft, witty and sexy read for fans of A Memory Called Empire by Arkady Martine and Winter's Orbit by Everina Maxwell.
In this sweeping story of high-stakes romance and cut-throat politics amongst the stars, dashing junior supply officer Levar Boylan finds himself unceremoniously pulled from the front lines to serve as a diplomat for abruptly arranged peace talks with the Empire. All because he once dated an Imperial baroness.
Levar gets more than he bargained for when his former lover, Astrid, is revealed as the reigning Demon Emperor and despite the years, the war, and their difference in rank, their mutual attraction still burns bright.
The re-ignited relationship with the towering, horned Emperor threatens to drown the lovelorn soldier in a whirlpool of conflicting agendas. Levar's superiors suspect his loyalty is waning, while Astrid hopes he will abandon the defeated Commonwealth to become an Imperial noble. As sinister schemes bubble to the surface, Levar must dodge assassins, outfox kidnappers and battle militant insurgency to save his country, his love, and his life.
June 2026 New Romance Books
Harvest Season
by Brynne Weaver
From the #1 New York Times bestselling author Brynne Weaver comes the second book in the devilishly steamy Seasons of Carnage trilogy where dark romantic comedy meets thrilling suspense and where love is ripe for ruin.
It's time to reap what you sow. Cape Carnage is blooming with secrets, and they're ready to harvest. But every time Nolan Rhodes digs one up, another grows in its place. Harper isn't who he thought she was. Arthur might be more sinister than he first thought. And Sheriff Yates? The man is everywhere he turns.
When true crime fanatics descend on the town looking for answers about the death of their leader, Nolan finds himself at the center of a search and rescue operation for missing people he knows are already dead. Cape Carnage teeters on the brink of chaos. And the harder Nolan tries to keep it together, the closer Harper comes to unraveling.
Harper Starling has risked everything to bury her trauma in Cape Carnage. But now that Nolan has unearthed her past, her whole life seems ready to break apart. And who can she trust? The enigmatic man she's falling in love with? He came to kill her. The serial killer mentor she's vowed to protect? He's become an unpredictable menace. The woman in the mirror? She might be the most dangerous of all.
Loyalties are tested. Bonds are bent to a breaking point. And love? That might be the deadliest trap of all. Harvest Season is a dark romance with mature themes. Please check content warnings at the beginning of the book.
Road Trip
by Mary Kay Andrews
New from the beloved New York Times bestselling author of Summers at the Saint and Hello, Summer!
Pack your bags for a summer journey shaped by family secrets, long-buried history and charming men with Irish accents. Maeve and Therese Dunigan haven't spoken in years. Raised under the same roof in Savannah, the two sisters could not be more opposite: Maeve the rule follower, Therese the unapologetic rebel. But when their mother's death pulls them back together, they inherit more than just grief: a mysterious painting that may be worth millions ... if it's real.
Determined to uncover the truth, and desperately in need of the money, the sisters set out on a journey to Ireland, tracing their family's roots and the origins of the portrait. What begins as a search for answers soon becomes something deeper, a reckoning with the past, as they uncover secrets that span generations and reshape everything they thought they knew about their family.
With tensions simmering, the two hit the road and find themselves on twisty lanes, in colorful villages, at local pubs and with handsome men whose gift of the gab is surpassed only by their charm.
Can Maeve and Therese actually survive the journey without killing each other? Join Mary Kay Andrews on a road trip that will entertain you for miles.
Romantic Hero
by Kirsty Greenwood
"Kirsty Greenwood's writing is like receiving a warm hug from a dear friend." -- Carley Fortune, #1 New York Times bestselling author of One Golden Summer
A heartbroken romance novelist is forced to address her writer's block when the villainous cowboy character from her books shows up in the real world, desperately in need of his own Happily Ever After … from the bestselling author of GMA book club pick The Love of My Afterlife.
Gertie Bickerstaff writes happily-ever-afters for a living. … Or she did, until her own love life fell apart. Now her ex is thriving, her deadline is looming, and she can't write a single word.
The last thing Gertie needs is more drama … like waking up to find a confused and rugged cowboy on her sofa. And not just any cowboy, but River Oakley, the villain from her unfinished novel. Somehow very real … and very shirtless.
River wants to go home. Gertie wants her life back. So they strike a deal: he'll use his cunning ways to help her win back her ex, she'll finish the novel, and surely, he'll return to whatever world he rode in from.
But as River Oakley proves to be so much more than just the bad guy, Gertie has to choose: the ending she thought she wanted … or the plot twist she never saw coming.
The Rainy Day Bookshop: A Contemporary Small-Town Story of Family, Community and Books
by Raeanne Thayne
"A love letter to motherhood, mending fences, and of course, the bookstores that save us when it all feels like too much." -- Kristy Woodson Harvey, New York Times bestselling author of Summer State of Mind
Life is full of plot twists … Sandwiched between caring for her mother and rebuilding the relationship with her estranged daughter, Emma, Rosie Lucas's life is full. In the best way. With Emma and her 3-year old daughter, Olive, back home, Rosie has a partner for The Rainy Day Bookshop, the family business, and a chance to fix the past.
What she doesn't have time for is a romantic relationship. And even if she did, Andrew Morgan is the last person she'd choose. Not only is he an arrogant and reclusive writer, but he's a single dad with two young kids. She's already been there, done that. Still as an irresistible flirtation builds between them, he becomes her unexpected confidante on the distance Rosie can't seem to overcome with Emma, a secret she can't quite unravel...
Emma isn't proud of her past. But she's pulled herself up by the bootstraps, caring for her own daughter and protecting her mom at all costs. Just as she always has. She never told Rosie what she saw all those years ago and she never will. But some secrets refuse to stay buried, and sometimes the truth is more shocking than fiction. Rosie and Emma will have to navigate an unimaginable path forward. Together.
The Someday Garden
by Ashley Poston
The new head gardener at the enchanting Lilymoor House stumbles upon a secret garden … with a mysterious man trapped inside, in the next magical novel from the New York Times bestselling author of Sounds Like Love and The Seven Year Slip.
When Sophie Drear plans her escape to coastal Maine for the summer -- for a temporary job revitalizing the storied grounds at Lilymoor House -- she doesn't expect to fall in love.
But she does: With the beguiling land, the fragrant flowers and the towering hedge maze. With the quirky staff and the enigmatic woman who owns the place. And then, the door appears. Never in the same place twice, it leads her to a secret, and unfinished, garden with a frustrated thundercloud of a man trapped inside.
This mysterious garden is not the only sign that the future of Lilymoor is unstable: the foliage resists Sophie's careful nurturing, vines threaten to strangle the hedges and the manor's owner has wild ideas about who will take over when she retires, including her inconveniently attractive nephew who is also there just for the summer.
Despite herself, Sophie has come to care for the residents of Lilymoor just as much as she cares for its grounds. With the help of one man on the outside of the secret garden and one man on the inside, she might be the only person who can figure out exactly what Lilymoor needs to bloom once more.
The Unmagical Life of Briar Jones
by Lex Croucher
"A WONDROUS BOOK...ABOUT LOVE AND HURT AND HOW WE SURVIVE IT ALL TOGETHER." - JOHN GREEN
"I WAS PHYSICALLY INCAPABLE OF PUTTING THIS BOOK DOWN." - OLIVIE BLAKE
"FANS OF THE MAGICIANS AND NINTH HOUSE HAVE FOUND THEIR NEW OBSESSION." - LAURA STEVEN
From New York Times bestselling author Lex Croucher comes an extraordinary dark academia fantasy about dangerous privilege, corrupted power and two former best friends caught on opposite sides of the secrets rotting at the heart of Britain's most prestigious boarding school.
For as long as they can remember, Briar Jones dreamed of attending the Temple School of Thaumaturgy. Behind its looming ornate gates, the elite boarding school -- the place that has produced the most CEOs and Prime Ministers in British history -- is whispered to be magical.
Briar's best friend, Sebastian Wolfe, never cared about Temple. He just wanted them to stay together forever. When, at age 11, Seb gets an acceptance letter and Briar doesn't, their childhood friendship is shattered. Seb vanishes onto Temple's grounds and Briar resigns themself to a mundane life. But they can't completely forget their yearning for Temple, for the extraordinary, to be one of the chosen in the ivory tower.
Seven years later, Briar secures a temp job sorting through the junk in Temple's attics. And when Briar takes it, they discover that quiet, sensitive Seb, the boy they once loved more than anything else in the world, has become Bastian: a beautiful, arrogant villain feared by the entire school. And worse, the secrets Temple is hiding might not be so enchanting after all.
Weddings
by Danielle Steel
When a wedding dress designer's daughter becomes engaged, it raises issues of love, safety and second chances for all the women in her family in this powerful novel by #1 New York Times bestselling author Danielle Steel.
Dominque Dupont is one of the world's most sought-after designers of wedding dresses and is as unfailingly chic as her gowns. Her international list of clients includes royals and presidents' daughters.
As for her own adult daughters, Felicity and Violet, they have unconventional views on marriage, due in part to their family history. Dominique's French mother, Marie-Aurélie, was the adored mistress of a famous financier, and Dominique and her faithless husband divorced decades ago.
Felicity, an artist, is in no hurry to get married. Unfortunately, her beau, Taylor, is. When she expresses ambivalence, Taylor reveals a dark side that frightens her. Too ashamed to confide in her mother or sister, she agrees to an elaborate wedding with deep misgivings.
Fun-loving Violet is dating a sports reporter, but firmly believes one should never spoil a good thing with matrimony. When he slips an MVP ring on her finger, they decide to celebrate their love in a way that is true to themselves.
Dominique's own long-term relationship with a married man is no longer giving her what she wants. As she struggles with making a change, her Parisian mother considers rekindling an old flame.
As plans for Felicity's wedding proceed, each woman will question the true meaning of commitment in this dazzling novel from a master storyteller.
When You Loved Me
by Beatriz Williams
A young widow returns to her late father's New England estate, only to be drawn into the hunt for the rumored pirate treasure that consumed his life, in this thrilling and moving novel from the New York Times bestselling author of Husbands & Lovers.
"Utterly transporting … one of the most gorgeous love stories I've read in a long time." -- Emily Giffin
Local history insists that a legendary pirate buried his treasure somewhere beneath Windward, the decayed Cooper estate on Winthrop Island, but Lucy Cooper never trusted the fable that broke her family apart. When a widowed Lucy returns with her young daughter to grieve her estranged father, she discovers catastrophe: The property is mired in debt she canʼt repay, and Ben Ressler has unexpectedly turned up on her doorstep.
Thirteen summers ago, the teenaged Lucy never meant to fall in love with Ben, a Dartmouth football star vacationing nearby at the Peabody estate and the object of an all-consuming crush by Laura Peabody, Lucy's best friend. Those few weeks were the best and worst of Lucy's life, dooming her friendship with Laura. Now, after a fatal accident ended his dazzling NFL career, Ben has returned to live quietly in the Peabodys' caretaker lodge. He's also the last person who saw Lucy's father alive.
As Lucy reconstructs her father's troubling final days, she uncovers his research on the frozen winter of 1717, when a desperately wounded pirate sought refuge on Winthrop Island with an enigmatic healer. To Lucy, this history points the way to a different kind of treasure: how to heal from the fractures of the past and earn a second chance at love. But just as Lucy's long-buried emotions sear to the surface, a shocking turn of events reveals that someone else on the island will do whatever it takes to claim the fabled plunder.
A timeless story of love and atonement, When You Loved Me maps both a centuries-old treasure hunt and the intimate territory of the human heart, weaving together past and present as only Beatriz Williams can.
White Lights
by Lauren Kate
#1 New York Times bestselling author Lauren Kate's Fallen series has sold over 11 million copies around the world. Now she returns to the seductive world of angels with a ruthless romantasy, perfect for both Fallen fans and new readers alike.
"Dark, seductive and original." ― Jennifer L. Armentrout, #1 New York Times bestselling author of From Blood and Ash
"The perfect book for those of us who were raised on the iconic Fallen series!" ― Cosmopolitan
"Lauren Kate has created a highly addictive romantasy. White Lights is a must read I devoured in two days." ― Jade Presley, New York Times bestselling author of The Never List
When mysterious Rafe de la Cruz rolls into Desdemona's life to recruit her to the elite film school Acheron, Dez has no reason to trust him -- and no other option. A violent attack has just put her brother in the hospital ... and Dez is the only suspect. Guilt-ridden and grieving, she finds herself running from the law to chase her longtime dream of making movies, at a school she's never heard of. Soon, she's dropped into Acheron's cutthroat world of seductive intrigue, power on an otherworldly scale and deadly competition.
Acheron may seem like the ticket to a future Dez has always wanted, but as she delves deeper into the secret work being done there, she finds herself trapped in an existential conflict on a cosmic scale -- with more than her heart on the line.
The Missed Connection
by Tia Williams
"Tia Williams is one of the very best romance writers we have. A forever auto-buy for me." - Taylor Jenkins Reid, New York Times bestselling author
New York Times bestselling author Tia Williams returns with an intensely romantic, deliciously sexy tale about a woman searching for her handsome seatmate on a European flight -- and the unexpected places her hunt for love leads her.
Sasha Cruz knows types. As a booked-and-busy casting agent, she's always casting -- at happy hour, the grocery store, everywhere. She's all about finding the perfect person to slot into the perfect role. What she doesn't do, however, is relationships. Too much energy, not enough time.
On a flight to Paris for work, a chance encounter with her type changes everything. Sasha's seated next to a broodingly attractive mystery man, and sparks fly, but they never exchange contact information. Convinced she's lost out on her soulmate, Sasha emails her work friend for help, but accidentally writes to the entire company worldwide! The international manhunt to find Seat F begins.
Meanwhile Sasha takes matters into her own hands. She hires a smoldering detective she knew in another lifetime, who complicates matters in unforeseen (and irresistible) ways. With a worldwide search underway, will love take flight for Sasha?
Related: For more ideas on what to read next, check out our Spring New Releases for Modern Romantics. You may also enjoy our reading recommendations for Leading Ladies or the Young at Heart.