Whether or not our summer plans include a vacation, we all need a little escape. Even if it’s just in stolen moments in the backyard or a few minutes before bed, getting lost in a plot is the perfect way to do it. Yes there’s power in the rom-com, but I’d argue that the best summer books are the most powerful way to chill out during warm weather months.
Whether you’re searching for quirky mishaps or steamy second-chances, historical drama or modern-day romance, here are the best summer books that indulge living in the moment and letting your heart lead the way. At the very least, these promise to be fun while they last.
image above from our interviewe
10 Books That Feel Like a Summer Fling
The Layover by Lacie Waldon
Vacation is no stranger to an unlikely romance. When flight attendant Ava gets stranded in Belize with her rival pilot, it’s only a matter of time before the side eyes turn into stolen glances. Perfect if craving some Caribbean sunshine and considering a career change, this is an enemies-to-lovers tale that feels less pie-in-the-sky and more like what happens after honest self-reflection that trusts the heart above all else.
It Happened One Summer by Tessa Bailey
Hollywood It Girl meets skeptical, hard-working sea captain. (IE: Imagine if Luke Danes traded the East Coast for the PNW.) That’s the premise of this fish-out-of-water story chronicling Piper, a wild child with a million followers whose entitled ways upset her stepfather for the last time. Banished to a small beach town in Washington to learn some responsibility, it’s there she meets local Brendan and opposites attract—or do they?
Atmosphere by Taylor Jenkins Reid
Fans of TJR will need little notice of this, but her latest novel was just released, this time transporting readers to the starry world of 1980s NASA. Following Joan Goodwin, an astrophysics professor training to become one of the first female astronauts, she develops an unexpected romance with fellow candidate Vanessa Ford. It unfolds amidst the high-stakes world of space exploration and glass ceilings, challenging Joan to reconcile ambition with her heart’s desires.
Nora Goes Off Script by Annabel Monaghan
When screenwriter Nora’s life takes an unexpected turn—her divorce memoir gets picked up for the big screen with an A-list actor cast as her ex-husband—she never imagined it would have a literal Hollywood happy ending. But as their relationship unfolds, Nora learns that even second chances can succumb to movie magic. Part Notting Hill mixed with a little Beach Read, this one is witty, warm, and full of small-town charm.
The Summer I Met Jack by Michelle Gable
Inspired by true events, The Summer I Met Jack takes place in 1950s New England, following the rumored engagement of a young senator John F. Kennedy to the young Polish refugee, and eventual socialite, Alicia Corning Clark. For a family where image is everything, the marriage was never to be—but it was broken off with a glittering array of secrets in its wake. This is a story of an affair that wouldn’t go quietly into the night.
Rivals by Jilly Cooper
Admittedly, I’m late to the Jilly Cooper game, but after watching the Hulu adaption starring David Tennant and Aiden Turner, the Angophile in me is now fully invested. Rivals is the first in a saucy, over-the-top, 1980s series of wealthy people behaving badly (essentially). Following TV tycoon Rupert Campbell-Black and his rivals as they battle for control of a new television station—no relationship, or attraction, is safe. This book is high hair, high heels, and all about the fling.
The House at Riverton by Kate Morton
For a more ethereal escape across the pond, The House at Riverton offers a moodier, but no less engrossing, summer page-turner. Time-jumping between 1999 and 1920s England, this story centers around a mysterious, tragic event that took place during a high-society summer party and decades later, is being made into a movie. As the only living witness to that night’s events, the housemaid at the time, Grace, revisits her past along with its secrets and loves lost. If you’ve yet to read any of Morton’s books, start with this one.
The Neighbor Favor by Kristina Forest
With lots of love on the page, The Neighbor Favor follows shy book editor Lily as she corresponds with her favorite fantasy author—only to get ghosted and left scrambling for a date to her sister’s wedding. As life and luck would have it, her charming next-door neighbor is up for the task of helping her, though he might not be who he says he is. For fans of the “I didn’t realize you were my pen pal” genre, you’ll love the slow burn on this one and will be rooting for the reveal.
Problematic Summer Romance by Ali Hazelwood
From the title alone, you probably know where this one is going—which is all the more reason it counts as a fling. Twenty-three-year-old Maya Killgore meets the irresistibly complicated (and older) Conor Harkness in Sicily, where they’re both attending Maya’s brother’s wedding. It’s swoony and sizzling, filled with witty banter and gorgeous descriptions of Italy layered with not quite the age-gap trope you may expect. Come for the scenery, stay for the transformational vulnerability.
The Blue Bistro by Elin Hilderbrand
Adrienne arrives in Nantucket for the summer—and surprisingly lands an enviable job at the famed Blue Bistro restaurant. But despite it’s mouthwatering meals and impeccable commitment to hospitality, Adrienne soon learns that there’s more to this place, and its charming owner and mysterious chef, than she first realizes. Especially if you’ve worked in the food industry (or just love watching The Bear), you’ll appreciate the heat in this one.
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Camille Styles
