The Best Romance Books to Read in Summer 2025

Hope Lanover needs a life makeover. With no viable romantic relationships or creative ambitions, going on a luxury cruise with her friend is an easy yes—maybe she’ll finally be able to tap into the badass girl she once was. Meanwhile, Felix Segrave is not interested in letting others take the reigns. He is a sober workaholic with no time for a girlfriend, spending all his waking moments in his restaurant. But when his parents invite him on a cruise with his sisters, he can’t opt out—he’s let them down too many times before. 

Hope and Felix are ready to get this trip over with—that is, until they lock eyes at check-in. Maybe 10 days in the Caribbean will be what they need after all. But when their pasts catch up to them, the two will have to work together or risk another romantic shipwreck.

Opposites attract in this sweet and spicy romance set on a college campus. Bronx Miller is the star quarterback and a notorious womanizer. Olivia McCausland is a quiet, straight-A student on a pre-med track and perhaps the only person on campus who isn’t dazzled by him. It might seem these two have nothing in common outside of being lab partners, but their chemistry surprises everyone, including themselves.

Did you know that singer Pia Mia is also a novelist? Her debut book follows along with Princess, a newly successful recording artist who just moved to Los Angeles. Though she appears to have it all—an amazing boyfriend and friends, money, a beautiful wardrobe—things aren’t always what they seem behind closed doors. Her newfound fame will test her relationships and her inner strength.

This heartfelt and cathartic romance is BookTok approved. Sloane Hart has an ambitious plan to graduate college and land the job of her dreams in New York City—and a man is definitely not on her vision board. But sometimes life has other plans…  

Ethan Brady, her upstairs neighbor, has an undeniable pull, but he’s also very guarded. As Sloan finds herself falling for him, she wonders if Ethan can be truly vulnerable and whether this romance will make it past the situationship stage.

Nadine Barbault and Wesley Chen are rival journalists at each other’s throats for the chance to cover the story of a lifetime: a mysterious buried scandal involving the reclusive elderly author Dot Voline. Dot agrees to share everything if—and only if—they agree to work together. They reluctantly agree, but before they can make much headway, Dot dies.

The estate's executor still grants the pair access to Dot’s sprawling mansion, but the story is much harder to piece together without Dot herself. If they’re going to succeed, Nadine and Wesley will have to collaborate more closely than they had anticipated. But maybe that’s not so bad after all…

Bookworms will delight in this romantic tale with a literary scavenger hunt. Librarian Chloe Sampson takes home a rare edition of a book from the 60s and is surprised when her reclusive older neighbor offers to buy it. Taking a closer look, she realizes the margins are filled with love notes between two young people…one of whom turns out to be her neighbor. Chloe’s quest to find out what happened to the young lovers unfolds across decades and different library books, but will ultimately lead her to the curmudgeonly man next door and his complicated past.

For those who prefer their romances a little more out-of-this-world, turn to this novel reminiscent of Galaxy Quest. Tamzir Jaarn is an alien who’s decided he may as well have some fun while he’s stranded on Earth—like going to space-themed conventions with the new human friends he made online. For her part, the nerdy Jennette Hammond is psyched to finally have friends with the same interests and passions—and to finally meet her online crush IRL at Space Con…

Drew spends most of his free time glued to the game Heroes of Legend, and starts to fall for a funny and talented girl in his guild. When she turns out to be a guy named Kit, Drew doesn’t care—he still really likes him. This is just the beginning of an adorable gamer romance that is also a loving tribute to the online gaming community.

The first installment in a new series, this “sumptuous and steamy dark fantasy” (Publishers Weekly) follows Lilith Leviathan, a rebel who practices magic in an ultra-religious society. A mysterious blade encountered in the sinful district of Nineveh could spell trouble for Lilith. Fortunately, her old friend Zahariev, head of the Zareth family and ruler of Nineveh, has always had a soft spot for her—but even his powerful position may not be enough to protect her from what’s to come.