Romance readers know the first rule of Romance Club: You always get a happily ever after. Even if you’re abducted by aliens, being wooed by a succubus, or trying to be the best fake girlfriend you can to a cookie empire heir, there’s real comfort in knowing the author will stick the landing. And when it comes to summer reads, that kind of certainty hits different. So whether this is your first time at Romance Club or your bazillionth visit, consider this your invitation to escape.
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The Open Era
By Edward Schmit
Berkley
(June 2)
“Heated Rivalry” has broken my brain. I’m not a sports-ball person. And yet, gentle readers, I am seeking out sports romance novels. Enter “The Open Era” — about Austin and Diego, respectively — which has now made me care about tennis. This is a beautiful romance, full of longing, heat and athletic men doing athlete things (training, competing, spiraling over rituals that may or may not matter). Schmit skillfully weaves in mental health and the quiet, complicated calculus of coming out in a hyper-public sport. Can I tell you what “love” means in tennis? Absolutely not. Can I tell you Austin and Diego’s journey had me tearing up? Also yes. Consider this your open invitation.
(Grand Central Publishing)
The Missed Connection
By Tia Williams
Grand Central Publishing
(June 9)
How far would you go to find a hot Italian stranger? As it turns out, Sasha Cruz — a casting director with questionable impulse control (said with love) — will go pretty far! Starting with accidentally sending a company-wide email that launches a deeply public search, and ending with hiring Wes, a former detective with whom she has a … complicated* history (*lightly sexual and deeply unresolved). In “The Missed Connection,” Williams balances fun and messy chaos with undeniable wit. And as in all her books, you’ll laugh at the pop culture nods and fan yourself through the chemistry — an ideal way to spend a summer night.
The Summer Girlfriend
By Kristina Forest
Berkley
(June 9)
Noelle Lewis is living a few lives as an aspiring librarian by day and professional bridesmaid-for-hire by necessity. Whereas Jeremiah Smith II is the wealthy heir to a baked goods empire (tough life), but trying to make his own way. This matters because (in a very fun meet-cute), Jeremiah asks Noelle to pose as his girlfriend for a weekend so he can continue to keep his family off his back. And because Noelle’s extremely good at her job, the gig stretches into an entire summer. As fake dating logic dictates, proximity (and, blessedly, only one bed) leads to very real feelings. “The Summer Girlfriend” is sweet in every sense: endless baked goods, charming banter and a respectful, emotionally available rich man (more, please!).
Die for Me
By Shirlene Obuobi
Penguin Books
(July 14)
There are many cons to dating a succubus. Case in point: They slowly kill you. But “Die for Me” offers compelling counterarguments — like, what if that succubus is gorgeous, rich and erudite? Suddenly, you’re at least open to negotiation, right? That’s the dilemma facing Sean Sullivan, a brilliant cardiologist who should really know better. I absolutely loved this sultry, smart, slightly unhinged ride of a novel. At times, it felt like watching an episode of “The Pitt” (complimentary), and at others, my inner Twihard perked up at the piano playing, obscene wealth and dangerously alluring “family.” Like “Twilight,” there’s an addictive quality to the pacing that makes real life feel deeply inconvenient, and you will wholeheartedly resent anyone who interrupts you (apologies to my husband).
As Long as it Takes
By Jill Francis
St. Martin’s Griffin
(July 21)
Get in, readers, we’re going to Italy. Or, rather, Lora — an academic who needs to get her Italian citizenship — is taking us there. And when she lands, we meet Andrea, the small-town mayor who holds the key to her future. Like any wonderful summer read set in Italy, there’s endless homemade pasta, wine at lunch (obviously), sun-soaked afternoons, gelato and — unexpectedly — Italian country music. But beyond the delicious escapism, Francis brings us a story that shows the beauty of building community and making space for yourself to belong. Fair warning, though: You won’t make it through this book without Googling the price of a one-way trip to Italy.
I Punched an Alien and Now We’re in Couples Therapy
By Kimberly Lemming
Berkley
(Aug. 18)
The title of this book is about as good as it gets (and I’m also happy to report that the inside delivers!). The premise is a tale as old as time: A badass rock star named Blair gets abducted and dropped on a planet called Waffles, where she promptly meets (and clashes with) an alien warlord named King Osid. Classic! This is not the stuff of traditional rom-coms, but I laughed the entire way through the intergalactic politics, tail play (iykyk), the words “good boy” and — crucially — couples therapy. Lemming leans all the way into the chaos and brings us on an absurdly fun journey with unexpectedly sweet relationship work.
La Rosa is an award-winning author of romance books. She co-founded the Burbank Book Festival and the Book Launch Club. She reads and writes in Burbank.