The best vacation romance books to get you into a summer state of mind

Why am I passionate about this?

I’m a contemporary romance author who writes in paranormal romance on the side, but everything I write always comes down to one thing, and that’s the romance between characters. I love books that make me connect to and root for the main protagonists, no matter their flaws or situation. I specifically love romance novels that take place during the summer or in places that are warm year-round because no matter what season it is when you read them, you’re immediately transported to a warm, sunny, swoon-worthy world.


I wrote...

Forever June

By Lexi Kingston,

Book cover of Forever June

What is my book about?

On the precipice of a breakup, Carmina Topaz fell in love with her brother’s best friend beneath the sunny skies of Florida. It all started with a pact; the promise of a summer full of distractions during which they’d help each other forget about their exes… until hers came back into the picture, and she was faced with an impossible decision that ruined everything.

He may have attempted to erase her memory, but his is the only thing that’s kept her going. Now she’s determined to remedy the past in whatever way she can in the hope of reminding him that loving her wasn’t always accompanied by pain.

Shepherd is reader supported. When you buy books, we may earn an affiliate commission.

The books I picked & why

Book cover of Sunkissed

Lexi Kingston Why did I love this book?

This book gives all the summer feels in a sweet and heartwarming romance novel about a girl following her dreams despite the fear of failure.

It embodies the delicacy of new love and growing into yourself as a person, and it kept me smiling and rooting for the characters from page one. The storyline is lighthearted but with depth, and at a time when I was struggling with my own writing, it really inspired me.

By Kasie West,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Sunkissed as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it. This book is for kids age 12, 13, 14, and 15.

What is this book about?

A lighthearted and swoony contemporary YA romance by fan-favorite author Kasie West about a girl who finds that a summer spent at a family resort isn't as bad as she imagined . . . and that falling in love is filled with heartache, laughter, and surprises!

Avery has always used music as an escape. But after her best friend betrays her, even her perfectly curated playlists can't help her forget what happened. To make matters worse, her parents have dragged her and her social-media-obsessed sister to a remote family camp for two months of "fun." Just when Avery is ready…


Book cover of My Life Next Door

Lexi Kingston Why did I love this book?

This was one of the first romance novels I’d ever read—ironically while I was on vacation—and for that reason alone, it will always hold a special place in my heart.

It’s a compelling summer romance about young love with undertones of social issues, and it highlights the challenges of making difficult decisions at a young age. The main character can either choose to support her family or fight to be with the boy-next-door despite her mother’s disapproval and pressures to uphold the family image.

I personally love books where the characters fight against the status quo, and this book absolutely delivered.

By Huntley Fitzpatrick,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked My Life Next Door as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it. This book is for kids age 12, 13, 14, and 15.

What is this book about?

The Garretts are everything the Reeds are not. Loud, numerous, messy, affectionate. And every day from her balcony perch, seventeen-year-old Samantha Reed wishes she was one of them...until one summer evening, Jase Garrett climbs her terrace and changes everything. As the two fall fiercely in love, Jase's family makes Samantha one of their own. Then in an instant, the bottom drops out of her world and she is suddenly faced with an impossible decision. Which perfect family will save her? Or is it time she saved herself? A dreamy summer read, full of characters who stay with you long after…


Book cover of Good Girl Complex

Lexi Kingston Why did I love this book?

This beachside romance features a female entrepreneur who started her business at a young age, which I related to immediately, having started self-publishing books as a freshman in college.

She’s a go-getter with a knack for business and fights for her passions despite the people in her life telling her she shouldn’t. I adored the enemies-to-lovers romance between Cooper and Mac, as well as the message that not everyone is what they initially seem. 

Book cover of Up in the Treehouse

Lexi Kingston Why did I love this book?

This book is all about second chances and restructuring the foundation of what was once a beautiful friendship into so much more.

The plotline and the characters tugged on my heartstrings like no other, and I loved the development from their childhood into adulthood. I’m also an absolute sucker for emotional scars, and this book delivered in every sense of the trope.

By K K Allen,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Up in the Treehouse as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Romantic Times WINNER for Best New Adult Book of the Year

"I wanted to tell him all my secrets, but he became one of them instead."

Chloe Rivers never thought she would keep secrets from her best friend, Gavin Rhodes. Then again, she never imagined she would fall in love with him either. When she finally reveals her feelings, rejection shatters her, rendering her vulnerable and sending her straight into the destructive arms of the wrong guy.

The Rhodes twins never saw the betrayal coming. Chloe has always been their forbidden fantasy--sweet, beautiful, and tempting. But soon the lines between…


Book cover of Playing the Player

Lexi Kingston Why did I love this book?

This forced proximity, opposites attract romance has always been a favorite of mine.

I read it when I was in high school, and it’s one that I always come back to. It’s the kind of book that inspired me to start writing and made me want to continue to write romance. The plotline will leave you smiling at the pages throughout the characters' banter and strengthening relationship with the kids they’re forced to babysit for a summer job.

By Lisa Brown Roberts,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Playing the Player as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it. This book is for kids age 12, 13, 14, and 15.

What is this book about?

Trina Clemons needed the money. Why else would she—the most organized, prepared student in school—spend the summer as a nanny and partner with the biggest slacker ever? Now she's ready to tackle nannyhood with her big binder of research and schedules. Just don't ask her about the secret job of “fixing” the bad habits of a certain high school player... Slade Edmunds prefers easy hook-ups, and Trina is definitely not his type. She's all structure and rules, while Slade wants to just have fun. Fortunately, Trina has no idea about the bet Slade made with his best friend that he…


You might also like...

Legacy of the Witch

By Kirsten Weiss,

Book cover of Legacy of the Witch

Kirsten Weiss Author Of The Mysteries of Tarot: A Work of the Imagination

New book alert!

Why am I passionate about this?

When I joined the Peace Corps in the early nineties, I wasn’t allowed to take much luggage. I decided to bring a Tarot deck, figuring I’d finally have time to learn it while parked in an Estonian forest. That Tarot deck opened up a world of Renaissance mysticism and magic, and I’ve been hooked ever since. Tarot cards and readings feature prominently in many of my cozy mystery novels, not the least of which are the Tea and Tarot mysteries. Now my imaginary Tarot reader from that series, Hyperion Night, has recently written his own Tarot guidebook, The Mysteries of Tarot.

Kirsten's book list on how to read Tarot

What is my book about?

Seeker: As societies grow increasingly fragmented, hopelessness, nihilism, division, and despair are on the rise. But there is another way—a way of mystery and magic, of wholeness and transformation. Do you dare take the first step? Our path is not for the faint-hearted, but for seekers of ancient truths...

Legacy of the Witch is a spellbinding, interactive tale of a woman’s midlife quest to understand the complexities of her own heart. A paranormal women’s fiction murder mystery for anyone who’s wondered if there might be more to their own life than meets the eye…

Legacy of the Witch

By Kirsten Weiss,

What is this book about?

Seeker: As societies grow increasingly fragmented, hopelessness, nihilism, division and despair are on the rise. But there is another way—a way of mystery and magic, of wholeness and transformation. Do you dare take the first step? Our path is not for the faint-hearted, but for seekers of ancient truths.

All April wants is to start over after her husband’s sudden death. She’s conjuring a new path—finally getting her degree and planning her new business in bucolic Pennsylvania Dutch country. Joining an online mystery school seems like harmless fun.

But when a murdered man leaves her a cryptic message, she catches…


5 book lists we think you will like!

Interested in romantic love, life satisfaction, and the upper class?

10,000+ authors have recommended their favorite books and what they love about them. Browse their picks for the best books about romantic love, life satisfaction, and the upper class.

Romantic Love Explore 845 books about romantic love
Life Satisfaction Explore 209 books about life satisfaction
The Upper Class Explore 85 books about the upper class