July 28, 2025 – Looking for a good beach read or a sizzling summer romance? Material Librarian Allison Zordell has curated a list of recently-published books that put love front and center. The best part? Even if they have a long holds list, you can find many of these picks on our summer QuickPicks tables at the Downtown or Ladd libraries. Just stop into the library to browse the tables of first come, first served bestsellers. And then be sure to log your reading minutes in the Summer Reading Challenge, which wraps up Aug. 2.
"Problematic Summer Romance" by Ali Hazelwood (2025)
Maya Killgore is twenty-three and still in the process of figuring out her life. Conor Harkness is thirty-eight, and Maya cannot stop thinking about him. It’s such a cliché, it almost makes her heart implode: older man and younger woman; successful biotech guy and struggling grad student; brother’s best friend and the girl he never even knew existed.
As Conor loves to remind her, the power dynamic is too imbalanced. Any relationship between them would be problematic in too many ways to count, and Maya should just get over him. After all, he has made it clear that he wants her gone from his life. But not everything is as it seems – and clichés sometimes become plot twists.
When Maya’s brother decides to get married in Taormina, she and Conor end up stuck together in a romantic Sicilian villa for over a week. There, on the beautiful Ionian coast, between ancient ruins, delicious foods, and natural caves, Maya realizes that Conor might be hiding something from her. And as the destination wedding begins to erupt out of control, she decides that a summer fling might be just what she needs – even if it’s a problematic one.
"Beach Reads and Deadly Deeds" by Allison Brennan (2025)
Mia Crawford is responsible to a fault. She has to be. Between her high-demand job and taking care of her grandmother and her cats, she has little time for anything else. What time she does have, she pours into reading. Mysteries, romances, thrillers … books filled with women who are far more impulsive than she would ever dream of being.
Now, forced into taking a long-overdue vacation, she finds herself on a luxurious private island where she just might have a chance to reinvent herself – for a little while, anyway. She can explore the island. Flirt shamelessly with a cute bartender. Have a vacation fling. Live like a heroine in one of her favorite novels.
Or she can curl up with a good book on the beach. Turns out reinventing yourself is easier planned than done. But when gossipy notes written in the margins of an old book turn out to be clues to the disappearance of another guest, Mia finds herself diving headfirst into a dangerous adventure. With everyone at the resort hiding secrets of their own, she’ll have to solve this real-life mystery before she becomes the next target.
"One Golden Summer" by Carley Fortune (2025)
Good things happen at the lake. That's what Alice's grandmother says, and it's true. Alice spent just one summer at a cottage with Nan when she was seventeen – it's where she took that photo, the one of three grinning teenagers in a yellow speedboat, the image that changed her life.
Now Alice lives behind a lens. As a photographer, she's most comfortable on the sidelines, letting other people shine. Lately, though, she's been itching for something more, and when Nan falls and breaks her hip, Alice comes up with a plan for them both: another summer in that magical place, Barry's Bay. But as soon as they settle in, their peace is disrupted by the roar of a familiar yellow boat, and the man driving it.
Charlie Florek was nineteen when Alice took his photo from afar. Now he's all grown up – a shameless flirt, who manages to make Nan laugh and Alice long to be seventeen again, when life was simpler, when taking pictures was just for fun. Sun-slanted days and warm nights out on the lake with Charlie are a balm for Alice's soul, but when she looks up and sees his piercing green gaze directly on her, she begins to worry for her heart. Because Alice sees people – that's why she is so good at what she does – but she's never met someone who looks and sees her right back.
"It's a Love Story" by Annabel Monaghan (2025)
Love is a lie. Laughter is the only truth. Jane Jackson spent her adolescence as "Poor Janey Jakes," the barbecue-sauce-in-her-braces punch line on America's fifth-favorite sitcom. Now she’s trying to be taken seriously as a Hollywood studio executive by embracing a new mantra: Fake it till you make it. Except she might have faked it too far.
Desperate to get her first project greenlit and riled up by pompous cinematographer and one-time crush Dan Finnegan, she claimed that she could get mega popstar Jack Quinlan to write a song for the movie. Jack may have been her first kiss – and greatest source of shame – but she hasn’t spoken to him in twenty years. Now Jane must turn to the last man she’d ever want to owe: Dan Finnegan. Because Jack is playing a festival in Dan’s hometown, and Dan has an in. A week in close quarters with Dan as she faces down her past is Jane's idea of hell, but he just might surprise her. While covering up her lie, can they find something true?
"Sounds Like Love" by Ashley Poston (2025)
Joni Lark is living the dream. She's one of the most coveted songwriters in LA ... and she can't seem to write. There's an emptiness inside her, and nothing seems to fill it. When she returns to her hometown of Vienna Shores, North Carolina, she hopes that the sand, the surf, and the concerts at The Revelry, her family's music venue, will spark her inspiration.
But when she gets there, nothing is how she left it. Her best friend is avoiding her, her mother's memories are fading fast, and The Revelry is closing. How can she think about writing her next song when everything is changing without her? Until she hears it. A melody in her head, lyric-less and half-formed, and an alluring and addictive voice to go with it – belonging, apparently, to a wry musician with hang-ups of his own. Surely, he's a figment of her overworked imagination.
But then the very real man attached to the voice shows up in Vienna Shores. He's aggravating and gruff on the outside – nothing like the sweet, funny voice in Joni's head – and he has a plan: they'll finish the song haunting them both, break their connection, and hope they don't risk their hearts in the process. Because that song stuck in their heads? Maybe it's there for a reason.
"Say You'll Remember Me" by Abby Jimenez (2025)
There's no such thing as a perfect guy, but Xavier Rush comes disastrously close. A gorgeous veterinarian giving Greek god vibes – all while cuddling a tiny kitten? Immediate yes. That is until Xavier opens his mouth and proves that even sculpted gods can say the absolute wrong thing. Like, really wrong.
Of course, there's nothing Samantha loves more than proving an asshole wrong ... unless, of course, he can admit he made a mistake. But after one incredible and seemingly endless date, Samantha is forced to admit the truth, that her family is in crisis and any kind of relationship would be impossible. Samantha begs Xavier to forget her. To remember their night together as a perfect moment, as crushing as that may be.
Only no amount of distance or time is enough to forget what's between them. And the only thing better than one single perfect memory is to make a life – and even a love – worth remembering.
"Dream on, Ramona Riley" by Ashley Herring Blake (2025)
Once upon a time, Ramona Riley was a student at a prestigious art school, with dreams of landing in Hollywood as a costume designer to the stars. But after her father's car accident, she had to quit everything and return to her small New Hampshire town, Clover Lake, to help take care of her younger sister.
Twelve years later, Ramona is still working at the town's café, all but given up on her dream. But when a big-budget romantic comedy comes to Clover Lake to film, she wonders if this could be her chance. There's only one problem: Dylan Monroe, her first kiss and Hollywood's favorite wild child, is the star.
"Go Luck Yourself" by Sara Raasch (2025)
Someone has been stealing Christmas's joy, and there's only one clue to the culprit – a single shamrock. With Coal busy restructuring Christmas – and their dad now having a full midlife crisis in the Caribbean – Kris volunteers to investigate St. Patrick's Day. His cover: an ambassador from Christmas to foster goodwill. What could go wrong?
Everything, it seems. Because Prince Lochlann Patrick, Crown Prince of St. Patrick's Day, happens to be the mysterious student that Kris has been in a small war with at Cambridge. They attempt to play nice for the tabloids, but Kris can't get through one conversation without wanting to smash Loch's face in – he's infuriating, stubborn, loud, obstinate, hot – wait – hot? Kris might be in some trouble. Especially when it turns out that the mystery behind Christmas's stolen magic isn't as simple as an outright theft.
But why would a Holiday that Christmas has never had contact with, one that's always been the very basis of carefree, want to steal joy? Can a spare prince even hope to unravel all this, or will Kris lose something way more valuable than his Holiday's resources – like his heart?
"Kiss Me, Maybe" by Gabriella Gamez (2025)
Librarian Angela Gutierrez has never been kissed. But after posting a video about her late bloomer status and ace identity, she's finally ready to get some firsts out of the way. Using her new influencer status to come up with a scavenger hunt idea in which the winner earns her first kiss, Angela realizes she may need some help to pull off the event.
Enter Krystal Ramirez, hot bartender and Angela's unrequited crush of five years. Despite vowing that romantic love isn't for her, Krystal seems awfully determined to help Angela pull off the scavenger hunt and find true love. There's just one problem: the connection between Angela and Krystal is getting stronger and stronger the more they hang out, until Angela isn't sure she wants to go through with the scavenger hunt after all. But Krystal is convinced that she isn't capable of love, and before long, Angela realizes she's falling head over heels for a woman who may never love her back.
"The Love Haters" by Katherine Center (2025)
Katie Vaughn has been burned by love in the past – now she may be lighting her career on fire. She has two choices: wait to get laid off from her job as a video producer or, at her coworker Cole’s request, take a career-making gig profiling Tom “Hutch” Hutcheson, a Coast Guard rescue swimmer in Key West. The catch? Katie’s not exactly qualified. She can’t swim – 5but pretends that she can.
Plus, Cole and Hutch are brothers. And they don’t get along. Next stop: paradise! But paradise is messier than it seems. As Katie gets entangled with Hutch (the most scientifically good-looking man she has ever seen ... but maybe a bit of a love hater), along with his colorful aunt Rue and his rescue Great Dane, she gets trapped in a lie. Or two.
Swim lessons, helicopter flights, conga lines, drinking contests, hurricanes, and stolen kisses ensue – along with chances to tell the truth, to face old fears, and to be truly brave at last.
"What is Wrong with You?" by Paul Rudnick (2025)
A tech billionaire and the flight attendant he's marrying. A TV superhero who used to be married to the flight attendant. A Manhattan book editor and the sensitivity associate who got him fired. A twenty-three-year-old wild child prodigy who's perhaps the savior of American literature. A vengeful Arkansas sheriff who sells a vitamin-enriched, ten-pounds-off-today demulsifier. A Wall Street bro who raps on TikTok. Two dentists – possibly stalking each other.
What do these people have in common? Invited or not, they're all headed to the most anticipated destination wedding ever, on the billionaire's private island, to seek romance, to cause mayhem, and to figure out everyone else's futures – and maybe even their own.
"The Long Game" by Reid Rachel (2024)
Ten years. That's how long Shane Hollander and Ilya Rozanov have been seeing each other. How long they've been keeping their relationship a secret. From friends, from family, from the league. If Shane wants to stay at the top of his game, what he and Ilya share has to remain secret. He loves Ilya, but what if going public ruins everything?
Ilya is sick of secrets. Shane has gotten so good at hiding his feelings, sometimes Ilya questions if they even exist. The closeness, the intimacy, even the risk that would come with being open about their relationship, Ilya wants it all. It's time for them to decide what's most important – hockey or love. It's time to make a call.
"Just Our Luck" by Denise Williams (2025)
"A lottery ticket + donuts = love in this steamy new fake dating romance from beloved author Denise Williams. Sybil Sweet has always been lucky, but lately she can't catch a break. After years of bouncing from job to job in search of something that feels right and from man to man in search of something special, Sybil is worried that she's the directionless, floundering daughter her family thinks she is. All she really wants now is a little financial stability and carb comfort. Lucky for her, she's got just enough in the bank to buy a lottery ticket, and the late-night donut store is open. Kiran Anderson put his dreams of becoming a doctor on hold to take over running his family's bakery, and after fighting a losing battle to save the place, he's exhausted, broke, and no closer to getting back to school. But when a whirlwind of a woman sweeps in late one night, flirty energy gives way to more...until she runs out the next morning, leaving behind her winning lottery ticket. Lucky for Kiran, his attempt to return the ticket looks like a grand romantic gesture and goes viral, sending sales through the roof. In an effort to keep the store afloat and to convince Sybil's family she can make good relationship choices, they agree to fake a relationship for three months. Even with hundreds of millions of dollars, finding each other might end up being the sweetest bit of luck for both of them."-
"You Had Me at Hola" by Alexis Daria (2020)
After a messy public breakup, soap opera darling Jasmine Lin Rodriguez finds her face splashed across the tabloids. When she returns to her hometown of New York City to film the starring role in a bilingual romantic comedy for the number one streaming service in the country, Jasmine figures her new “Leading Lady Plan” should be easy enough to follow – until a casting shake-up pairs her with telenovela hunk Ashton Suárez.
After his last telenovela character was killed off, Ashton is worried his career is dead as well. Joining this new cast as a last-minute addition will give him the chance to show off his acting chops to American audiences and ping the radar of Hollywood casting agents. To make it work, he’ll need to generate smoking-hot on-screen chemistry with Jasmine. Easier said than done, especially when a disastrous first impression smothers the embers of whatever sexual heat they might have had.
With their careers on the line, Jasmine and Ashton agree to rehearse in private. But rehearsal leads to kissing, and kissing leads to a behind-the-scenes romance worthy of a soap opera. While their on-screen performance improves, the media spotlight on Jasmine soon threatens to destroy her new image and expose Ashton’s most closely guarded secret.
"Flirting Lessons" by Jasmine Guillory (2025)
Avery Jensen is almost thirty, fresh off a breakup, and she’s tired of always being so uptight and well-behaved. She wants to get a hobby, date around (especially women), flirt with everyone she sees, wear something not from the business casual section of her closet – all the fun stuff normal people do in their twenties. One problem: Avery doesn't know where to start. She doesn't have a lot of dating experience, with men or women, and despite being self-assured at work, she doesn't have a lot of confidence when it comes to romance.
Enter Taylor Cameron, Napa Valley's biggest flirt and champion heartbreaker. Taylor just broke up with her most recent girlfriend, and her best friend bet her that she can't make it until Labor Day without sleeping with someone. (Two whole months? Without sex? Taylor?!?!) So, she offers to give Avery flirting lessons. It should keep her busy and stop her from texting people she shouldn't. And it might take her mind off how inadequate she feels compared to her friends, who all seem much more settled and adult than Taylor.
At first, Avery is stiff and nervous, but Taylor is patient and encouraging, and soon, Avery looks forward to their weekly lessons. With Taylor’s help, Avery finally has the life she always wanted. The only issue is: now she wants Taylor. Their attraction becomes impossible to ignore, despite them both insisting to themselves and everyone else that it isn't serious. When Taylor is forced to confront her feelings for Avery, she doesn't know what to do – and most importantly, if she's already ruined the best thing she's ever had.