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Romance Books Coming Out in Summer 2020

These 20 New Romance Books Will Turn Up the Heat on Your Summer

Jul 2 2020

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Summer is absolutely the season of romance novels, and this summer is no exception! This season is packed with funny, sweet romances that prove that important ideas and happy endings are not, in fact, mutually exclusive. We could all use a little more love in our lives, and that's what these books are hoping to provide! To help you put together your reading list, we've rounded up some of our favourite romance novels coming out in Summer 2020. The books in the gallery ahead are full of sparkling banter, diverse characters (from diverse authors!), and enough joy and hope to make you believe all over again. Ahead, find your next summer reading faves!

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The Trouble With Hating You by Sajni Patel

Sajni Patel's debut The Trouble With Hating You features some of your favourite rom-com tropes — in the best way. Liya Thakkar is a successful biochemical engineer, but her perpetual singledom leads to an ambush when her parents try to set her up at a dinner party. Then, her match turns up at her job: he's the lawyer hired to help save her struggling company, and neither of them is thrilled to see the other.

Released May 12

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Beach Read by Emily Henry

In Beach Read by Emily Henry, two literary opposites find themselves as beach house neighbours for the summer. Although literary fiction author Augustus and romance novelist January are artistically at odds, they set each other a challenge during the summer to write outside their comfort zones. In the process, they just might get out of their romantic comfort zones together.

Released May 19

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Recipe For Persuasion by Sonali Dev

Sonali Dev's Recipe For Persuasion is loosely inspired by a Jane Austen novel, but it's very much it's own contemporary story. Struggling chef Ashna Raje agrees to go on a cooking-with-celebs reality show out of desperation, but the last thing she plans on is being paired up with football star Rico: her first love who she bailed on years ago. Their initial distaste soon mellows, and that spark is still there — but is it too late?

Released May 26

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Something to Talk About by Meryl Wilsner

Meryl Wilsner debuts with Something to Talk About, a Hollywood rom-com with a twist. Jo, a Hollywood star, makes her assistant Emma laugh at a joke on the red carpet, but when the moment is caught on camera, the gossip mill immediately assumes they're in a relationship. The more time they spend together — first as colleagues, then as friends — they begin to wonder if the rumours weren't so wrong after all.

Released May 26

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Conventionally Yours by Annabeth Albert

The gaming circuit takes centre stage in Annabeth Albert's Conventionally Yours. Two big-name fans — charming Conrad and perfectionist Alden — are stuck on a trip together to a major convention. Along the way, they discover they're both much more than the personas they present, but neither wants to let their burgeoning romance get in the way of winning the tournament.

Released June 2

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The Boyfriend Project by Farrah Rochon

Farrah Rochon's The Boyfriend Project kicks off with everyone's worst nightmare: Samiah discovers her boyfriend has been secretly dating two other women, catfishing all of them, and she and the other two girlfriends have gone viral on Twitter. She throws herself into her career, only to meet the man of her dreams — but he seems just a little too perfect.

Released June 9

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Last Tang Standing by Lauren Ho

Last Tang Standing by Lauren Ho is a glossy, sexy summer romance with some major family drama. Andrea Tang is in her thirties and single — to the despair of her family — but she couldn't be happier with her fun friends and her high-powered career as a lawyer. When she crosses paths with a seemingly perfect man, she decides to give him a chance, but her decidedly unsuitable office rival Suresh keeps manageing to thwart all her cherished plans.

Released June 9

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The Marriage Game by Sara Desai

The Marriage Game by Sara Desai starts out with the best intentions gone awry. Layla moves back in with her family after a series of disappointments, and her supportive dad gets a little too supportive: he creates a dating profile for her and sets her up on a bunch of blind dates. Her dad's tenant and her new officemate, Sam, is just as irritated by the never-ending antics. Can they find some common ground?

Released June 9

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Head Over Heels by Hannah Orenstein

Hannah Orenstein's Head Over Heels is one part feel-good rom-com, one part timely gymnastics drama. Retired gymnast Avery returns to the sport after a set of betrayals and disappointments to help a coach with a new prospect. Although she enjoys teaching and finds a spark with coach Ryan, Avery's world is shattered again when a scandal breaks and reopens old wounds.

Out June 23

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Party of Two by Jasmine Guillory

Jasmine Guillory's delightful series of loosely connected novels spins off another side character into their own novel for the fifth book in her Wedding Date series. Party of Two shifts focus to Olivia Monroe, an ambitious lawyer who discovers, to her horror, that her hotel bar flirtation is actually a high-profile politician. As much as she likes Max, the scrutiny of the spotlight might just be too much for her.

Out June 23

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Take a Hint, Dani Brown by Talia Hibbert

Talia Hibbert follows up her popular 2019 novel, Get a Life, Chloe Brown, with this new instalment. Take a Hint, Dani Brown, as you might guess from the title, focuses on Chloe's sister Dani, a driven PhD student who's got everything except romance on her mind. When her building's handsome security guard, former rugby player Zafir Ansari, rescues her during a botched fire drill, the moment goes viral — but is that enough to build a relationship on?

Out June 23

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The Heir Affair by Heather Cocks and Jessica Morgan

The Heir Affair is Heather Cocks and Jessica Morgan's follow-up to 2015's The Royal We, which followed a fictionalised version of the British royal family and Bex, the American "commoner," who falls in love with the heir to the throne, Nick. In the sequel, Nick and Bex are struggling on two fronts: to navigate the fallout of a spiteful scandal released on their wedding day, and to conceive their first child as more family secrets threaten to come out.

Out July 2

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Boyfriend Material by Alexis Hall

Who doesn't love a good fake-dating romance? That's the premise of Alexis Hall's Boyfriend Material, but with extra-high stakes. Luc, the troubled son of famous parents, needs to clean up his image ASAP, and he recruits Oliver, a perfectly respectable lawyer, to pretend to be his new boyfriend when they both need a date for a big event. Of course, their fake relationship soon leads to real feelings, and they've both got some serious thinking to do.

Out July 7

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Not Like the Movies by Kerry Winfrey

Kerry Winfrey goes just a little bit meta in Not Like the Movies, and we love it. Chloe's real life is stressful and far from a fairytale, but that doesn't stop her best friend from writing a movie inspired by Chloe and her cute boss, Nick. As the movie becomes a Hollywood hit, Chloe's real life takes a turn too, and she's just hanging onto hope for a real happy ending.

Out July 7

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You Had Me at Hola by Alexis Daria

Alexis Daria's You Had Me at Hola centres on Jasmine and Ashton, a pair of soap/telenovela stars who are unexpectedly paired up to film a new rom-com while both are going through some serious personal turmoil. Their attempts to find onscreen chemistry turn into a steamy romance, but the pressures of the industry threaten to douse the spark all too quickly.

Out Aug. 4

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No Offence by Meg Cabot

Meg Cabot's adult romances are just as funny and enchanting as her more-famous YA series, The Princess Diaries. Her latest is No Offence, a rom-com-slash-mystery set in a small town. A baby is abandoned at the library, forcing messy librarian Molly and uptight sheriff John to work together — and maybe to learn a thing or two about each other.

Out Aug. 11

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A Rogue of One's Own by Evie Dunmore

First of all, you have to admit that Evie Dunmore's A Rogue of One's Own gets points for the title alone. The story is just as delightful: a band of suffragettes stage a takeover of a publishing house and plot to overthrow the British government, led by the fearless Lady Lucie. Unfortunately, her nemesis, Lord Tristan Ballentine, stands in their way, and their rivalry soon escalates in scandalous ways.

Out Sept. 1

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Older by Pamela Redmond

Pamela Redmond's Older is the sequel to the book that inspired TV Land's Younger, but this book has taken Liza and her friends on a very different track than their TV counterparts. Liza has published a thinly fictionalised version of her life, and Kelsey wants to make it a TV show and have Liza write the pilot. In California, Liza finds herself torn between New York and LA, between her handsome leading actor Hugo and her younger boyfriend Josh, and she has to figure out where her heart really lies.

Out Sept. 8

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Well Played by Jen DeLuca

Jen DeLuca follows up her Ren-faire romance Well Met with 2020's Well Played. This time, it's "tavern wench" Stacey who gets to find some summer love. At first, she thinks she's getting eloquent emails from her hot but reticent Faire fling Dex, but when she learns the real identity of her admirer, her whole world gets turned upside down.

Out Sept. 22

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Ties That Tether by Jane Igharo

Jane Igharo explores identity, culture, and romance in Ties That Tether, the story of a Nigerian-Canadian woman who promised her family that she would preserve her culture and only marry a Nigerian man. Things get complicated when she hooks up with the charming — and white — Rafael, and it only gets more tricky when their casual arrangement turns into something much more emotional.

Out Sept. 29

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