Weekly Book Recs 27-2025: Sweet Summer Romance
- Apollo Imperium
- 6 days ago
- 4 min read
WEEKLY BOOK RECS: 6 book reviews and suggestions every week
Summer doesn’t need to be dramatic to be good. Sometimes it’s enough to have a cold drink, a decent playlist, and a book with a love story that isn’t trying too hard. This week’s recs are sweet summer romance books that feel like long afternoons and slow burns. Nothing too heavy, but not fluff with zero substance either.
These are the kinds of stories where the tension builds just right, the characters feel real, and the happy endings hit a little sweeter because they’re earned. If you’re in the mood for something light but still worth your time, this is the lineup.
1. “People We Meet on Vacation” by Emily Henry
⭐ 4.6/5
Tropes/Genre: Friends to lovers, second chances, travel
Description: Poppy and Alex take a trip every summer. They’ve been best friends for years, until one vacation messed things up. Now Poppy wants to fix it. She plans one last trip to try and get their friendship — and maybe something more — back.
Review: This is a strong friends-to-lovers story. The dialogue’s great, the setting feels real, and the structure keeps the pace moving. Emily Henry nails the emotional build-up without making it feel like a soap opera. A classic modern romance that’s good at what it does.
2. “Something Wilder” by Christina Lauren
⭐ 4.2/5
Tropes/Genre: Second chance, adventure romance, outdoorsy
Description: Lily runs guided treasure hunts through the Utah desert. When her old flame shows up on a tour, things get complicated. There’s buried treasure, old wounds, and more drama than she signed up for.
Review: This one’s part love story, part action movie. If you like your romance with puzzles, maps, and horseback scenes, it delivers. The second half leans into adventure, but the relationship stuff still lands. Not your typical rom-com, but that’s what makes it fun.
3. “Love & Other Disasters” by Anita Kelly
⭐ 4.3/5
Tropes/Genre: Cooking competition, queer romance, slow burn
Description: Dahlia joins a reality cooking show after a messy divorce. London, the show’s first nonbinary contestant, is focused and private. Sparks fly slowly, but they’re there, and the kitchen heats up for more than just the food.
Review: Solid romance with great pacing and some legit food scenes. The representation is handled well, and the relationship develops naturally. If you’re into character-driven romance and you don’t mind some quiet moments between the drama, it’s worth the read.
4. “Meet Me at the Lake” by Carley Fortune
⭐ 4.4/5
Tropes/Genre: Second chance, lakeside romance, small town
Description: Fern spent one perfect day with a stranger ten years ago. Now he’s back in her life, helping run her family’s lakeside resort. Old chemistry, grown-up problems, and a little nostalgia hit all at once.
Review: This is the softest one on the list, in a good way. The writing feels laid-back, and the setting does a lot of the work. It’s slow but rewarding, and the tension is believable. Good if you want something mellow with a side of longing.
5. “The Charm Offensive” by Alison Cochrun
⭐ 4.5/5
Tropes/Genre: Reality TV, opposites attract, queer romance
Description: Charlie’s the awkward lead of a dating show. Dev is the producer who’s supposed to help him fake it. Instead, they start to fall for each other behind the scenes, and things get complicated fast.
Review: Great chemistry and a lot of humor. It takes the reality show setup and uses it well without feeling too gimmicky. The romance has depth, and both characters have solid arcs. Smart writing and a few emotional gut punches if you’re into that kind of thing.
6. “Better Than the Movies” by Lynn Painter
⭐ 4.3/5
Tropes/Genre: Fake dating, YA rom-com, high school
Description: Liz wants to land her dream guy. To do it, she makes a deal with her annoying neighbor Wes to help get the guy’s attention. What she doesn’t expect is to start falling for the wrong person entirely.
Review: This is definitely a younger story, but it still works. The fake dating setup feels familiar in a comforting way, and the payoff is satisfying. Wes is a great lead, and the banter’s on point. Easy to recommend if you like high school romances that don’t feel forced.
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