9 love stories to read this summer
BY Emily Powter-Robinson
10th Aug 2023
Whether you’re jetting off overseas, staycationing closer to home, or just heading to your local park to soak up the sun, one thing is for certain: you’ll need to pack a good book! If I was asked to name the genre that makes me think of summer, my answer would be romance. There’s just something special about getting lost in a good love story on holiday, and these romance novels will make even the most sceptical reader swoon.
Honey & Spice by Bolu Babulola
After the runaway success of her short story collection Love in Colour, Bolu Babalola’s debut novel Honey & Spice is a similarly fresh and modern love story that breathes new life into the genre.
Kiki Banjo has made it her mission to protect the women of Whitewell University from the dangers of players and heartbreak, supplying advice, tips and essentials to paying men no mind on her student radio show, Brown Sugar.
But then she meets distressingly handsome newcomer Malakai Korede, who threatens to tear apart the community of women she's fought so hard to protect.
Kiki publicly declares Malakai the 'Wasteman of Whitewell' on Brown Sugar and brings a stop to her girls chasing his attentions. But when she and Malakai suddenly find themselves shackled into a fake relationship to salvage their respective reputations and save their academic futures, she is in danger of falling for the very wasteman she warned her sisters about.
With her heart compromised and defences weakened, Kiki has to learn to open herself up to the perils of love... and face up to a past that forced her to close down in the first place.
The Way Back to You by James Bailey
Who doesn’t like a funny and heart-warming story of long-lost love and second chances? A tale of pen pals, pretty French towns and sweet friendships, James Bailey’s second novel is the perfect accompaniment to a long-weekend city break.
When Simon reconnects with his first love Sylvie - the French pen pal he never met - he is determined to not let her go again.
However, life isn't so straight-forward at sixty as it was at sixteen. His daughter's getting married, he's got a B&B to run, and his larger-than-life school friend, Ian, has abruptly waltzed back into his life.
Deciding to seize this second chance, Simon sets off on a bike ride from Bristol to Bordeaux with Ian in tow, on the very same route they covered as teenagers in pursuit of love.
But it soon becomes clear that this trip will have even more bumps in the road than the first…
James was a student on our six-month Writing Your Novel course in London in 2018.
Read about the inspiration behind his debut novel
Summer People by Julie Cohen
You won’t want to miss this captivating and page-turning poolside read in 2023!
The last time Vee left the shores of Unity Island, she thought she'd left forever. But this summer, she's returning with her charming husband, Mike.
Vee's unexpected arrival, this time as one of the wealthy 'summer people', sets the small island community alight with gossip. What's more, her childhood best friend, Sterling, is furious that she's come back - Vee abandoned him when he needed her most.
And then Vee meets Rachel, Sterling's wife, and a spark is ignited within her that she can't extinguish. As summer turns to autumn, long-buried secrets emerge that will cause a storm greater than any of them could ever have imagined.
Julie is the tutor of our upcoming Writing Romantic & Commercial Fiction course. Over nine weeks, learn how to take readers on an emotional journey and write an uplifting novel with characters your readers will invest in.
This fully flexible online course starts 9 Oct. Find out more and apply here.
The Summer Skies by Jenny Colgan
The Summer Skies is the brand-new escapist summer novel from Sunday Times bestseller Jenny Colgan, and dare I say it, she’s back better than ever.
Born into a family of successful pilots, Morag is used to flying high, but when she receives a call telling her that her beloved grandfather has been taken ill, Morag leaves her fast-paced life in London to return home to the tranquil Scottish Highlands.
With her grandfather out of action, Morag has no choice but to take over flying the local route in his rickety old plane. But as the weather takes a dramatic turn, Morag is forced to crash-land on a remote island. There, she discovers Gregor, the gruff and reclusive ornithologist taking care of the island for the season. Though the pair don't see eye to eye, Morag is forced to seek shelter at his cabin until help arrives.
As she awaits rescue, might Morag discover that a remote Scottish island, cut off from real-life, is exactly the place she needs to be?
Jenny is the tutor of our six-week online Writing a Romance Novel course, starting 9 Oct.
Read her tips for creating chemistry between your romantic leads on our blog.
The Break-Up Clause by Niamh Hargan
Escape to New York for the ultimate enemies-to-lovers story in Niamh Hargan’s first class rom-com.
When arrogant new colleague Benjamin swans into Fia’s small office at her New York law firm, it’s no secret they hate each other. But there is one secret no one knows.
The last time Fia and Benjamin saw each other was one summer night nearly ten years ago, at a little chapel – in Vegas. Benjamin isn’t just Fia’s co-worker, he’s also her long-lost husband.
They made a promise – they even signed a pact – that they’d divorce after one year. But they never did. Now, if anyone discovers they’re husband and wife, both their jobs are on the line.
And as their marriage starts to finally heat up, it’s a secret that’s getting harder to keep…
Niamh was a student on our three-month online Writing Your Novel course in 2020.
Happy Place by Emily Henry
BookToks’ favourite romance author, Emily Henry, is back with a story of female friendship in her latest novel Happy Place. Described by Beth O’Leary (author of The Flatshare) as 'the closest thing to going on holiday without leaving your sofa', there’s a reason that this is on everyone’s summer reading list.
Harriet and Wyn are the perfect couple.
Every year, they take a holiday from their lives to drink far too much wine with their favourite people in the world. Except this year, they are lying through their teeth, because Harriet and Wyn broke up six months ago. And they still haven't told anyone.
But the cottage is for sale, so this is the last time they'll all be here together. They can't bear to break their best friends' hearts, so they'll fake it for one more week.
But how can you pretend to be in love - and get away with it - in front of the people who know you best?
Again, Rachel by Marian Keyes
Pairing her signature humour with unforgettable characters Again, Rachel is a poignant contemporary love story from one of our best-loved authors.
Back in the long-ago nineties, Rachel Walsh was a mess.
But a spell in rehab transformed everything. Life became very good, very quickly. These days, Rachel has love, family, a great job as an addiction counsellor, she even gardens. Her only bad habit is a fondness for expensive trainers.
But with the sudden reappearance of a man she'd once loved, her life wobbles.
She'd thought she was settled. Fixed forever. Is she about to discover that no matter what our age, everything can change?
Marian is the tutor of our five-week online Writing Fiction with Marian Keyes course.
Read about Marian’s approach to crafting characters with believable romantic and familial dynamics in our interview.
Red, White & Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston
With the countdown to the film adaptation of the beloved gay rom-com novel by Casey McQuisiton well underway, it would be remiss of us to not include Red, White and Royal Blue on this list!
What happens when the First Son of the United States and the Prince of England fall in love?
Alex Claremont-Diaz is handsome, charismatic, a genius – pure millennial-marketing gold for the White House ever since his mother first became President of the United States. There’s only one problem. When the tabloids get hold of a photo involving an altercation between Alex and Prince Henry, U.S./British relations take a turn for the worse.
Heads of family and state devise a plan for damage control: stage a truce. But what begins as a fake, Instagrammable friendship grows deeper, and more dangerous, than either Alex or Henry could have imagined. Soon they are hurtling into a secret romance that could derail the presidential campaign and upend two nations.
The House by the Sea by Santa Montefiore
If you like your love stories served alongside a slice of history, you’ll want to pick up Santa Montefiore’s scenic new novel set between 1960s Tuscany and present-day Devon.
Ten-year-old Floriana is captivated by the beauty of the magnificent Tuscan villa just outside her small village, and dreams of living there someday. When Dante, the son of the villa's owner, invites her inside, she knows that her destiny is there, with him. But as they grow up they cross an unseen line, jeopardizing the very thing they hold most dear…
Decades later and hundreds of miles away, a beautiful old country house hotel on England's Devon coast has fallen on hard times. Its owner, Marina, hires an artist-in-residence to stay the summer and teach the guests how to paint. The man she finds is charismatic and wise and begins to pacify the discord in her family and transform the fortunes of the hotel. However, it soon becomes clear that he is not who he seems…
Santa is a guest speaker for our upcoming Writing Romantic & Commercial Fiction course, taught by Julie Cohen. During this live Zoom Q&A session, you’ll have the chance to ask Santa all your burning questions.
This fully flexible online course starts 9 Oct.
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