With sunshine finally upon us, and vacation season finally here I thought I’d share my reading list for summer. Full of swoon-worthy romances, humour filled rom-coms, thought provoking YA contemporaries and some pretty addictive gothic horrors—the perfect accompaniment to all those relaxing beach getaways and City breaks.
So without further ado, here are the best books you need to read this summer.
Ali Hazelwood’s sexy STEM, rival to lovers romance was a sizzlingly swoon worthy masterpiece—it’s bursting with humour, relatable characters, relevant commentary regarding women in STEM and a heartfelt exploration of love in all it’s many forms.
This perfect, summer rom-com follows Bee, a neuroscientist who, after a childhood full of uncertainty and constant travel just wants to find stability, put down roots and get a cat.
But, after a terrible breakup Bee has now devoted her time to her career and after landing a co-leading job at NASA, things really are starting to look up. Until she finds out her co- lead is actually Levi Ward—her nemesis from Grad School!
Sunyi Dean’s debut is a deliciously, dark and utterly addictive feast of a book. A contemporary, Gothic Horror fairytale about motherhood ,sacrifice, acceptance and hope that I couldn’t help but devour, it was soo good!
Devon is a Book Eater, a supernatural being who consumes books for sustenance (instead of food) and can retain all of the book’s content after eating it. Devon’s brothers grew up on stories of valor but for Devon—like all Book Eater women, the rarest and most valuable of their kind—was raised on a curated diet of fairytales and cautionary stories, in preparation for her life as a bride mother.
But real life isn’t like fairytales and Devon’s son, Cai is born with a rarer and darker kind of hunger, with the urge to feed (Zombie-like) on the minds of humans instead of books.
Mind eaters are a perversion of her kind and so, to protect her son Devon flees before he can be turned into a weapon for her family… or something worse.
This utterly addictive small town, enemies to lovers romance is an absolute must read this summer!
It Follows literary agent Nora and rival editor Charlie who find themselves thrown together during Nora’s month long vacation in a small North Carolina town—with sizzling, chemistry, witty banter and an adorable ensemble of characters (mainly Nora’s perky pregnant little sister) you’ll definitely speed through this in record time.
This utterly hilarious, insightful and uplifting contemporary romance—about love, family and self acceptance follows thirty-one-year-old South Londoner, Yinka as she navigates life with a mother and a host of aunties far too conceneed about her marriage prospects.
A definite must read for rom-com fans!
An irresistible YA murder mystery/thriller set on an idyllic island inhabited by the uber wealthy—Parris has hidden its dark and tragic history behind a veneer of glitz and glamour for decades. It’s a place haunted by the unsolved deaths of countless young women-including Luca’s best friend Polly.
All Luca wants to do is heal from the grief of her loss, but after a drunken party Luca returns home to find the Police at her house… Her sister,Whitney, is dead.
With the help of the new girl next door Luca decides to take the investigation into her own hands and find out what exactly happened that night.
But nothing in Parris, is ever as it seems and the secrets it’s hiding might be just as deadly…
This addictively compelling Romance debut is definitely a book you want to read this summer!
(Though I warn you, it does get pretty emotional at times so be prepared for all the feels.)
How To Fake It In Hollywood follows two actors—talented starlet Grey and reclusive A-lister (Ethan) who enter into a fake relationship as through the endless (scheduled) paparazzi run-ins and public dates they discover that their feelings might be more than just a PR stunt. The chemistry between them is absolutely scorching but in this ruthless industry, are they both too used to faking it to open themselves up to the real thing?
An utterly thrilling, YA fantasy debut that’s full of heart, humour and a swoon-worthy romance that I literally couldn’t get enough of!
Alessa is supposed to be her island’s saviour with a gift to amplify her partners magic, but after three weddings and three funerals her abilities have only managed to kill every suitor with her touch. Now, there’s only weeks left until an angry swarm of demons descends on her island home, and Alessa is running out of time to find a new partner and stop the invasion.
After an assassination attempt from her own soldiers, the desperate Alessa hires the cynical killer Dante to act as her personal bodyguard, but his dark secrets may be the biggest betrayal. For he holds the key to her survival and her heart—the one person who can help her master her gifts or destroy her once and for all…
Predicted to be one of the biggest rom-coms of the summer, Honey & Spice is a dazzling debut full of humour and a flirtatious romance that’s perfect for romance lovers and fans of the fake dating trope.
It follows sharp tongued (and soft-hearted) student radio host, Kiki Banjo who’s an expert in relationship evasion and keeping her feelings close to her chest.
But when Kiki meets charmingly handsome newcomer Malakai Korede—who she’s publicly denounced as ‘The Wasteman of Whitewell’—her defences are already down and her heart compromised.
A clash leads the pair into a fake relationship to save both their reputations and their futures, but Kiki soon finds herself falling for the man she’s warned her girls about...
An exquisitely crafted and utterly atmospheric, gothic style Horror that I literally couldn’t put down. The vividly rich descriptions were the unbelievably uncanny and High Place—home to the reclusive Doyle family set me on edge almost immediately—and the sweltering, almost claustrophobic atmosphere brings to mind the hottest and most uncomfortable of summers. Reading with an icy beverage is a must!
It follows socialite Noemie who plans a stay with her recently married cousin, Catalina after receiving a rambling and cryptic letter which hints that all is not well.
The reception she receives upon arrival is decidedly frosty and things only get worse as Noemie begins to experience dark visions and even darker nightmares. Whilst digging for info, she discovers that the reclusove Doyles and their strange house are hiding secrets —full of violence and madness. And if she’s not careful they may just ensnare her in their trap…
A powerfully resonant, relevant and utterly compelling novel that explores explores the topics of inter-generational suffering, colonialism, racism, sexism, and physical violence that BIPOC and indigenous people face on a daily basis. It’s brutally eye opening at times but there’s sweetness too,in the love, hope and support that suffuses Lou’s journey every step of the way.
In the summer before she sets of for University, Lou spends her days working in her family’s ice cream shack with her ex boyfriend (who she never felt any desire for) and her former best friend, King, who has returned to their Canadian prairie town three years after leaving without a word. Despite the awkwardness of this situation, it’s the letter from her biological father—the man who has spent the entirety of her life behind bars—that sends her reeling and she knows she cannot meet him no matter how much he insists.
King’s friendship makes her feel safer and warmer than she’s ever felt before (more than she thought possible) but when her biological father puts her family’s home and business under threat she knows she cannot ignore him forever…
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