This Summer’s Guilty Pleasure Reads for Your Weekends
Warm summer weekends bring the promise of relaxation, a little sun and most importantly, free time to settle in with the best books of the summer. For fans of novels with touching romance stories, these 10 new books will be the perfect reads for your weekends at the beach or even a late night glass of your favorite wine.
How to Walk Away by Katherine Center
Just when Margaret Jacobsen begins to feel on top of the world, a devastating plane crash will bring her life to a screeching halt. Now, realizing that her life has been flipped upside down, she’s confronted with the possibility that things will never go back to the way they were. As she contemplates her relationship with her new fiancé and figures out how to handle her flippant sister, Margaret will take comfort in her physical therapist who will make give her a chance at a new life and possibly new love.
The Proposal by Jasmine Guillory
In Jasmine Guillory’s new novel, freelance writer Nikole will get the surprise of a lifetime when her short-term boyfriend proposes to her at a Dodgers game. Quick to rescue the poor girl from the immense attention of the entire stadium, a handsome doctor steps in and saves Nikole from the spotlight. Before she knows it, the two are involved in a casual relationship of fun and hooking up but as their affair deepens, they’ll have to figure out whether or not they want to hold a permanent spot in each other’s lives.
Untamed Cowboy by Maisey Yates
Bennett and Kaylee have always been close friends and coworkers but in this new romance novel, one kiss will change the fate of their relationship forever. When Bennett learns that he has a son, he finds himself running to Kaylee for help and support but all Kaylee can think about is her secret love for him. With one quick kiss, their platonic friendship becomes one of passion and it suddenly becomes clear that this new spark could either ruin their bond entirely or lead them to a new and deep love for one another. For hopeless romantics, this novel will sweep you off your feet.
Send Down the Rain by Charles Martin
Joseph is still traumatized from his time spent in Vietnam but his kind heart won’t allow him to ignore a mother and her children who have found themselves lost in the woods near his secluded home. Helping the woman get back to her home in Florida, Joseph is forced to face his hometown and the woman he left there. Reuniting with his childhood love, Allie, Joseph can’t help but catch feelings for her again as he helps her through a difficult time in her life. Just as the two begin to warm up to one another again, a decades-old secret will find its way to the surface, threatening their connection forever.
When You Knew by Jamie Beck
The final book in Jamie Beck’s The Cabots series brings readers a new story about motherhood, family and falling in love when you least expect it. Gentry Cabot never planned on getting pregnant, especially after a meaningless one-night stand, but now she must take care of her baby, hiring live-in nanny Ian to help her raise the child. To their surprise, Ian and Gentry quickly find themselves falling for each other but with the threat of the baby’s father looming in the background and Ian’s need to travel the world, Gentry can’t be sure of anything.
Good Luck With That by Kristan Higgins
Georgia and Marley have just lost their best friend but in the wake of the devastating news, they find out that Emerson left them one last mission: face their adult fears. As both women come to terms with the things that scare them most, they find an inner strength they never knew they had, finally opening them up to the possibility of love. This story about friendship, romance and remembrance tells the tale of three girls who not only needed to find love in a partner but also find love for themselves.
Awaken by Denese Shelton
In Denese Shelton’s summer release, one woman will rediscover her life and the woman she wants to be through her dreams. By day, Sierra is a real estate agent with a deep secret that keeps those around her from getting too close but in her dreams, she’s a brave civil rights activist named Dorothy. Gaining a new outlook on life due to her fearless dreams, Sierra starts to find a new confidence in herself and due to this, opens up a door to new love and the potential to be the kind of woman she’s always wanted to be.
Matchmaking for Beginners by Maddie Dawson
Marnie MacGraw dreams of nothing more than a life as a mother and wife in the suburbs. Soon to marry the man of her dreams, she meets her fiancé’s great-aunt, Blix: a self-proclaimed matchmaker who tells Marnie her life is about to change in big ways. Now facing the fact that her marriage only lasted two weeks, she moves into the home of the late Blix and assumes her role as matchmaker. Unaware that she was destined to fill this position, she quickly starts to learn that love comes when you least expect it and that in order to find the right person, you have to consider all the offers that come your way.
The Kiss Quotient by Helen Hoang
Stella Lane doesn’t know much about love or relationships but she knows a lot about math and her prosperous job, creating new and advanced algorithms. Stella’s steady work life combined with the fact that she has Asperger’s makes dating hard so she decides to hire a professional to teach her the art of physical love. But before the two know it, they’ve fallen hard for each other and suddenly a simple business transaction becomes a romantic affair that neither of them ever saw coming.
Two Steps Forward by Graeme Simsion and Anne Buist
Zoe and Martin are lost souls, both looking for a new beginning in the form of a centuries-old pilgrimage called the Chemin. Having just lost her husband, Zoe is hoping that the trail will give her a new sense of direction in life, despite the physical difficulty of the journey. Martin, on the other hand, has just gotten out of a difficult marriage and settled a complicated divorce which left him wary of trusting anyone new. As the two get to know each other, spending their time together on the trail, they’ll come to find that love comes in unexpected ways and that trust is still achievable, despite their rocky pasts.
