RomCom Books for Your Summer Reading List
I am so excited to introduce a new bimonthly series all about BOOKS on the blog, written by my favorite guest writer Ashley Diogaurdi. Today on the blog, she is going to be covering five of her favorite romcom books for summer.
Interested in hearing more from her? Be sure to follow her on Instagram and Goodreads!
Top Romcoms for the Summer by Ashley Dioguardi
It’s that time of the year again, yall! Time for sunscreen, sweaty bras, and unflattering tan lines. For some reason, my mind is still not allowing myself to think that summer is just a month or so away. Maybe this is because I hate the heat, but it’s probably more so because this year has flown by! If you are like me and need a gentle *push* into embracing the summer season, I have some amazing recommendations for you! Romcom reads make the soul feel better. Pair one with a pool or beach, and you have the perfect recipe for stepping into the summer season!
Favorite 5 Romantic Comedy Book Recs for Summer
I have five book recommendations for you all. Each one is a little different, yet they are similar in many ways (as all good romcoms are). I have included favorite tropes: enemies-to-lovers, forced proximity, one bed, co-workers, etc. so I hope you can find your favorite summer read from this little list.
by Emily Wibberley and Austin Siegemund-Broka
Book Quick Summary:
This one is a recent read of mine! It’s a story about two famous authors (Katrina and Nathan) who found their success after co-writing and publishing some best-selling books. But after ending their partnership on sour terms, Katrina has decided to give up writing, and Nathan takes it as a sign to pursue his solo writing career. If it wasn’t for their already signed contract, they wouldn’t have to work together again. But against their best wishes, they do. After her fiance lands in some financial troubles, Katrina feels the pressure to make this their best selling book yet. But how can they move past their tumultuous past and address the issues that they are trying to bury in the closet? Can two enemies really write a cohesive and passionate story without falling in love? We’ll see about that…
Why I Love this Book
One of the cool things about this book is that it’s written by two authors. You can kind of see their voices blend into the characters in their story. This is the perfect read for summer because not only is it fun and fast-paced, but it’s set in the hot summer sun of Florida. You can almost feel the humidity that’s written into the setting of this book, it’s that descriptive. Let me also say, the banter is elite. I love the conversations these two characters have, and it’s more so the way they communicate through writing that is so beautiful than their actual spoken words. There’s a little bit of spice, a little bit of enemies-to-lovers, and a LOT of fun. I highly, highly recommend this one!
Click here to check out my more in depth review, and shop the book by clicking here.
by Elle Kennedy
Book Quick Summary:
This is also a new 2022 release from a super popular author, Elle Kennedy! You may know her work from the Off Campus series that everyone raves about (ugh, still need to read this). There is spice, drama, banter, beach-vibes, etc. etc. etc.
This is a story about Mac, the stereotypical “prep school” girl. She has the long term boyfriend, she has the grades, the money… she basically has everything she could ever want. All that said, she feels like there’s more to life that she’s missing. Maybe it’s a new business venture she needs, or maybe it’s a change of scenery. Either way, Mac can’t seem to put her finger on it. All of that changes when she meets a “townie” named Cooper who flips her world upside down. He forces her to take a step back and look at her privileges and all of the fluff she has let disrupt her future. His blunt and candid personality brings out a new side to Mac, and she likes what she is becoming. But was the start of their relationship all based on a lie? Was Cooper just trying to get close to Mac to fulfill a bet? How can a relationship build when it’s not genuine from the start?
Why I Love this Book
This was my first Elle Kennedy book and let me tell you… it did NOT disappoint! Her writing is phenomenal. I was shocked at how detailed she made everything. She never relied on bland conversations or weak dialogue to fill up the pages. I also would be lying if I said the main character Cooper wasn’t a total heartthrob. He is your typical “rough ‘n tough”, lowkey guy who doesn’t care about the frivolous things in life. He is the exact opposite of Mac which makes this such a fun read. I think both of them develop into the best versions of themselves in this book and it’s honestly so beautiful to see. One really cool thing I loved about this story, and I am not sure if this is typical Elle Kennedy or not, but every side character had A BIG part in the overall storyline. No character was made without intention, and I loved reading a story like that.
Click here to check out my more in depth review, and shop the book by clicking here.
by Tessa Bailey
Book Quick Summary:
So this one is the first book in the Bellinger Sisters series by Tessa Bailey. Tessa Bailey is known for her spicy, laugh out loud romantic comedies. If you have not had the pleasure of reading her books, please do so ASAP. Think of this one as a sexy Schitts Creek. You have your main characters Piper and Brendan. Piper is your typical rich, spoiled brat. She would never willingly step foot into the small fisherman’s town of Westport when she could be in LA still, but when she is cut off financially, she is forced to change her lifestyle. In walks Brendan, a local kingcrab fisherman who is well respected in his community for his no-nonsense attitude and grit. Trying to deny this undeniable attraction is only leaving them more frustrated, as they know they are as polar as opposites can be. As Piper learns more about her roots in Westport, she starts to have a change of heart and reconsider how she previously has been living her life.
Why I Love this Book
This romcom is SO fun. I promise you that if you read it, you will automatically order the second book. It’s addicting. Tessa Bailey has such an upbeat way of writing that makes you really root for her characters. For example, Piper has everything you’d ever need in the girl you want to hate…but you just CAN’T hate her! I say this a lot in my reviews but her character development is amazing. She is not shy about owning up to her mistakes and letting people know how she really feels. She eventually takes the move to Westport in stride, but man was it funny to watch her deal with everything at first (funny in a good way). Brendan has a way of bringing Piper back down to earth and it’s adorable to watch. If you love a grumpy/sunshine trope, (somewhat) forced proximity trope, and plenty of steam… check out this book!
Click here to check out my more in depth review, and click here to shop the book.
by Emily Henry
Book Quick Summary:
If you love books about books, then pick this one up! This is your classic Beach Read (ha-ha), full of humor, fun, and slight steam. Emily Henry is an auto-buy author for me, so anything she writes you can guarantee I either already have it, or it’s pre-ordered.
This book is a true enemies-to-lovers story about a romance author (who no longer believes in love), and a literary fiction novelist (who may be a secret romantic). They could not be more opposite. When they’re forced into neighboring beach houses to work on their latest projects, they end up finding support in one another to beta read and give critiques when needed. Their stories are both lacking in some way, and the only method of fixing this is to take each other on “inspiration” dates to gain new ideas. As any good romcom goes, the spark between them grows throughout their summer together, and they find that maybe they aren’t so different after all.
Why I Love this Book
This book seriously just makes you smile. The characters are fun and well-rounded, not dull in any way. Both of them have their quirks, but honestly it’s so fun to read about two polar opposite authors: one who kills off every character and makes his writing as dark as possible, and then another who finds the good in everyone and tries to ship every character together. Mix that together with them being forced to work together and it’s gold. Aside from the comedy, there was a good amount of real drama and heartful scenes that balanced out this book nicely. I highly recommend this one if you are looking for a quick read and a beautiful beach setting!
Click here to check out my more in depth review, and click here to shop the book!
by Christina Lauren
Book Quick Summary:
This was one of my first romcoms where I literally couldn’t stop thinking about it afterwards. It is just CUTE. That’s the word for it. I definitely need to re-read it sometime soon!
This is a story about Olive and Ethan, two people who are forced to come together and celebrate the wedding of Olive’s sister Ami and Ethan’s best friend Dane. After an unfortunate string of food poisoning from the wedding reception, Ethan and Olive are left to act as bride and groom on their all-expenses paid for honeymoon. The only catch? They can’t stand each other (do you see a trend in my favorite romcoms yet?). But, they are willing to put their disdain towards one another aside for a free beach vacation. However, on this vacation Olive runs into her future employer and has to lie about her purpose of the trip with this mystery man. When she finds herself tangled in a web of lies, acting as a wife to Ethan, their relationship starts to shift into something more. But is it legit? Or just part of the act?
Why I Love this Book
Like I said, this was one of my favorite romcoms I read early on. I fell in love with the Christina Lauren duo (yes, they are two different authors) after reading this book, and actually found my top 5 favorite books ever from them. Maybe that will be explained in a future blog post? Anyway, this is such a great read! You can fly through this one because with the predicament Olive puts herself in, you are eager to find out what happens next. It has a lot of laugh out loud moments, but also some really sweet scenes that make you cheer so hard for this duo. Absolutely pick this one up (and everything else from Chrstina Lauren)!!
Click here to check out my more in depth review, and click here to shop the book.
