This post is written by Carolina Ciucci.
The warmer weather has officially arrived in the Northern Hemisphere, which means that those of us who like to read seasonally appropriate romances will want to stock up. We’ve been blessed with a lot of amazing romances to enjoy during this spring and summer season, so the only issue with this list was getting the number of options down to a manageable amount. In other words: a list of fabulous books that wouldn’t completely empty your bank account. But narrow it down, I did! So now I present you with nine amazing romances that’ll give you all the springtime and summertime vibes.
If you enjoy descriptions of flower shops, long days at the beach, and the London season, look no further than this list, where you’ll find all of that and more. Also present are some of everyone’s favorite tropes, including fake dating and love across times and lifetimes, among others. Ranging from contemporary romances to romantasy, the books included in this list will satisfy your seasonal romance cravings.
Proceed with caution, though: reading these might result in an intense urge to live your spring and summer to the fullest. Or it might result in you burrowing down on your comfiest chair and reading all through both seasons — which, when you think about it, is pretty much the same thing.
A Love Song for Ricki Wilde by Tia Williams
Ricki Wilde is the underdog in her wealthy family, so when the chance comes to rent the bottom floor of a Harlem brownstone and get away from them, Ricki doesn’t have to think about it. She moves in, opens her long-dreamed-of flower shop, and sets out to live her best life. What she hasn’t dreamed of is the mysterious stranger who bursts into her life in the most unexpected of ways.
The Prospects by KT Hoffman
Gene Ionescu loves his life. As the first openly trans player in professional baseball, he knows he has achieved most of what he’s set out to do. But his near-perfect life threatens to crumble like a house of cards when Luis Estrada, his rival and former teammate, is traded to his current team.
Just for the Summer by Abby Jimenez
We’ve all heard about romances when one of the protagonists is cursed to be the last person others date before meeting their soulmate. But what happens when both protagonists share this curse? Justin and Emma, who agreed to date in order to cancel their curses out, are about to find out.
Funny Story by Emily Henry
When her fiancé realizes that he’s in love with his best friend, Daphne finds herself stranded in a town, not of her choosing, and sharing an apartment with Miles, her ex-fiancé’s new girlfriend’s ex.
Talk about complicated.
But their relationship soon becomes a friendship, and they come up with a plan. This plan may include deliberately misleading their exes by posting pictures where it seems like they’re having the summer of their lives.
The Emperor and the Endless Palace by Justinian Huang
Nothing says spring to me like romantasy, which makes this the perfect book to curl up with. From 4 BCE to present-day Los Angeles, two men are reincarnated again and again. The one thing all their lifetimes have in common? Each other.
Don’t Want You Like a Best Friend by Emma R. Alban
Beth has to find a husband soon, lest she and her widowed mother end up on the streets. But worry not! Her best friend Gwen has figured it all out: they will make their parents fall in love and get married!
Except that it isn’t working. And even if it did, Gwen and Beth are becoming increasingly aware that getting their parents together matters less to them than being together themselves.
In a Not So Perfect World by Neely Tubati Alexander
Meeting the perfect guy after vowing to remain single is one thing. Meeting him after promising your employers that you’ll stay single? Ouch.
But no matter: Sloane knows that things won’t lead anywhere with Charlie, despite their fake dating scheme, because he’s trying to win back his ex. Right?
Late Bloomer by Mazey Eddings
A lot of us have wondered what we’d do if we won the lottery. Our imaginations probably didn’t show us Opal Devlin’s fate: being harassed from all sides to part with her money until she gives up and buys a failing flower farm in North Carolina.
But then! Fate must have a twisted sense of humor, because her refuge is now being contested by Pepper Smith, who claims the farm truly belongs to her. The two end up living together, but it’s only a temporary arrangement. Or so they think.
Ready or Not by Cara Bastone
Eve Hatch likes her life. Perhaps she doesn’t love it, but she doesn’t have anything to complain about. But when an unexpected pregnancy throws her for a loop, she must reevaluate fast. It’s Shep, her best friend’s brother, who steps up to help her, and…was he always this hot?
Can’t get enough of seasonal romances? Try this list of YA spring romances, or this one full of summertime romance goodness.