10 Must-Read Summer Romance Releases

Even if the Sky Falls, by Mia Garcia
Home doesn’t feel like a haven for Julie anymore—not since her brother’s return from the military—so she goes to New Orleans in the hopes of finding a better one while working as a volunteer. But dealing with a familiar face who has unwanted expectations doesn’t quite do the trick, and Julie decides the only way to truly get lost is to do just that. While immersing herself in the intoxicating, glittering atmosphere of the city and midsummer Mardi Gras, she meets…well, let’s just call him Miles, because when you’re spending a whirlwind 24 hours together to escape everything else, who needs real names? But as Julie and Miles get closer, so does the storm brewing outside the safe cocoon of their instalust, and each will have to face real life far sooner than they’d imagined.

Girl Against the Universe, by Paula Stokes
Maguire has been in enough tragic situations—including the accident that killed her father and brother—to know she’s bad luck. As a result, she isolates herself as much as possible in order to protect those around her from suffering similar fates, which means, for one thing, no flying. But when the opportunity arises for her to fly to Ireland to visit her dad’s family, Maguire finally gets the push she needs to overcome her phobias once and for all. She begins therapy, where she meets Jordy, a tennis star who helps pull her out of her forced introversion while encouraging her therapy progress, and who also happens to be really cute, and who just may benefit from her support as much as she does from his.

Wanderlost, by Jen Malone
Aubree has seriously screwed up this time, and it’s her big sister who takes the fall, losing her summer plans to lead a European tour group in the process. Aubree knows she owes her sister, and the only way she can repay her is to pick up Elizabeth’s responsibilities, beginning in Amsterdam. But Elizabeth’s meticulous planning is no match for Aubree’s ability to turn everything into a disaster. Thankfully, the tour company owner’s son, Sam, is more than happy to help her fill in all the missing pieces and make it a vacation for the entire group to remember…and no one more so than Aubree. This is one of those charming, bantery, sparking-chemistry books you’ll want to reread the minute you’re done.

Georgia Peaches and Other Forbidden Fruit, by Jaye Robin Brown
Jo’s happy in Atlanta, where she and her best friend have been out for years. And when her dad’s new marriage brings them to the far more conservative Rome, Georgia, Jo is shocked and hurt when a request to go back into the closet accompanies the change. She reluctantly agrees, but when things with one of her new friends, Mary Carlson, get far more than friendly, she has to decide whether her commitment to her father is more important than the potential for love with the beautiful southerner, who’s pretty damn tired of being in the closet herself. A rare supercute f/f YA romance that also really nicely integrates meshing religion and sexuality.

The Geek’s Guide to Unrequited Love, by Sarvenaz Tash
Graham can’t wait to go to Comic Con, and it’s not just because his and his best friend’s favorite reclusive comic creator will be present. In fact, the convention is where he plans to tell said best friend, Roxy, he’s in love with her. But nothing goes as planned, least of all getting Roxy alone—an impossible task once she has picked up an annoyingly attractive British buddy on site. But Graham makes his own delightful friend in his pursuit of the perfect confession, and amidst all the confusion he has to reassess the relationships in his life and what’s truly meant to be after all. Tash is so good at getting loads of heart and humor into stories taking place over a short period of time (see: Three Day Summer), and this seriously delightful read (which Teen Me Who Was in Love With Her Best Friend reallllly could’ve used) is a perfect example.

Defending Taylor, by Miranda Kenneally
Taylor thought taking the hit for her (now ex-)boyfriend’s prescription drug possession was a safe bet, considering she’s got a lot of cachet as a senator’s daughter. But that serious error in judgment gets her kicked out, landing her back home and away from her beloved soccer team. Now she has to start again with new friends, a new team, and an old love interest—her brother’s friend, Ezra, who certainly cushions the blow of her expulsion a little and feels like the only person who understands how much she’s struggling and what she’s going through. But can she trust again after getting burned?

Been Here All Along, by Sandy Hall
Kyle’s out as bisexual to his family and his best friend, Gideon, but he still has to overcome the biggest challenge: telling his girlfriend of six months, Ruby. Gideon’s fully supportive of Kyle and his sexuality, but things between them don’t feel quite the same lately. Perhaps because he realizes Kyle’s not the only one into guys? But more daunting than Gideon’s realizing he’s gay is realizing exactly what the sparked that realization: the fact that he’s head over heels for his taken BFF. And Gideon’s not the only one feeling like things are a little off: even Ruby can tell there’s something going on between the supertight next-door neighbors. Can they fit the right pieces together to find where they’re supposed to be, or, more accurately, who they’re supposed to be with?

The Way to Game the Walk of Shame, by Jen Nguyen
Taylor’s reputation as an ice queen is irritating enough, but it’s made a billion times worse after she wakes up in bed (after a night of nothing!) with Evan McKinley. Taylor’s got a brilliant plan to fix all the rumors, though: all she has to do is convince Evan to play boyfriend, and let everyone think she’s the one who tamed the bad boy. Amazingly enough, Evan agrees to play along, but somewhere along the line, what was once a game becomes all too frighteningly real, and what was once a genius plan might be the dumbest thing Taylor’s ever done.

The Season Between You & Me, by Robin Constantine
Cassidy needs some scenery that doesn’t include her ex this summer, and her father and his bed and breakfast at the Jersey Shore provide the perfect escape. Brian’s spending the summer working at camp and adjusting to permanently being in a wheelchair following an accident. Finding each other to spend time with is the best thing either of them could’ve asked for in a season neither expected to enjoy. This is my favorite of Constantine’s reliable romances so far, with that added perk of it being one of very few romances featuring a wheelchair user.

Whatever., by S.J. Goslee
Mike’s life is pretty sweet—great friends, a band, and, of course, Lisa. Then, suddenly, he doesn’t have Lisa anymore, which should probably hurt more than it does. What does throw him is the news that he apparently made out with a guy when he was drunk, and that while he has no recollection of it, apparently his friends aren’t quite as clueless. Suddenly nothing in Mike’s life makes sense…except that everything finally kinda does. As the roles various people had been playing in his life swirl around until even his worst enemy might be the best thing that has ever happened to him, Mike comes to terms with the fact that he is in fact bisexual, and that his life’s still pretty sweet, maybe even more so now.