The Ultimate Summer Reading List

Rom-Coms, Escapes, and Travel Tales

Why Summer Reading Just Hits Different

Summer calls for stories that sweep you away and offer escapism, whether to another country, a small beach town, or just inside someone else’s life.

There’s also something special about reading with a breeze in your hair, whether you're by a pool, listening to ocean waves crash, or looking out a train window.

This ultimate summer reading list is filled with rom-coms, nostalgic novels, and real-life travel stories perfect for long weekends, poolside lounging, or flights abroad. Some I’ve read and loved. Some are sitting at the top of my TBR. But…all of them are made for summer.

Rom-Coms and Feel-Good Fiction

Emily Henry’s Summer Essentials

In my opinion, Emily Henry is the absolute queen of the summer rom-com. She’s witty, writes dialogue like no other, and the way she writes men (both inner and outer traits)... it's like she’s inside my brain crafting the perfect guy.

• Book Lovers: Nora, a sharp literary agent, agrees to a small-town escape with her sister and unexpectedly runs into her work rival, Charlie, a brooding editor. I toggle back and forth between whether Book Lovers or Beach Read is my favorite. A lot of Henry fans either love this one most or least, but I couldn’t put it down. The pacing, emotional layers, and bookish setting hit all the right notes for me.
  

• Beach Read: Two creatively blocked writers, one known for romance and the other for serious fiction, agree to swap genres for the summer. This one is often at the top of people’s lists, and for good reason. It is heartfelt, smart, and full of longing. I found it to be so well done from start to finish, with just the right balance of wit and emotion.
  

• Funny Story: Daphne moves in with the ex of her ex’s new fiancée after an unexpected breakup. This one was a slow grow for me. The male lead feels different from Henry’s other love interests, less nerdy and book oriented. But by the end, I adored him and the story as a whole. It quietly snuck up on me.

Other Feel-Good Favorites

• It Happened One Summer by Tessa Bailey: A spoiled LA socialite and a grumpy fisherman? Small-town steamy perfection. If you love Alexis and Mutt from Schitt's Creek, you're going to love this story. It's the classic Hallmark movie “city girl falls for hot man in plaid shirt” setup, and it works.
  

• This Summer Will Be Different by Carley Fortune: Island escape, forbidden chemistry, emotional depth. This was my first Carley Fortune I read and I devoured it. I love Fortune's writing style and I absolutely adored the characters and the story.
  

• The Burnout by Sophie Kinsella: For anyone who’s ever needed a reset. Quirky, cozy, and surprisingly grounding. I picked this book, based in the UK, up in the Dublin airport and was so glad I did. It's such a fun and special book with two great leads and even better side characters that remind you of Schitt's Creek or The Office.
  

• Just For The Summer by Abby Jimenez: This is first up on my summer reading list, but it's definitely one of the books I've been noticing a lot everywhere. A fake-dating setup leads to something more, and from what I’ve heard, it blends humor and heart in the perfect summer package.

  *Jumping back in here to add that I started this yesterday and am already halfway through. I love the two main characters SO much. We will see how the rest goes, but highly recommend!
  

The Best “Summer in the Title” Reads

Elin Hilderbrand’s Seasonal Masterpieces

Like Emily Henry, Elin Hilderbrand knows how to write a great summer read. While not as modern or snarky, her novels offer a nostalgic, location-rich immersion into summer life.

• 28 Summers: If you haven’t read this one, it’s a must. Bittersweet and addictive, with a long-running love affair you can’t help but root for. It’s a page-turner that will have you hoping the whole way through.
  

• Summer of ’69: Nostalgic and necessary. This was my first Hilderbrand book, and the one that turned me into a fan. She captures places and relationships so beautifully. You feel like you’re right there with the characters. It’s the kind of story that lingers long after you’ve finished
  

More Summer Infused Stories

• One Italian Summer by Rebecca Serle: A grieving daughter travels to Positano and meets her mother…in her youth. Time travel with a twist. This is a special and unexpected book. In fact, I now have the hotel featured in this book at the top of my travel bucket list!
  

• My Magnolia Summer by Victoria Benton Frank: Southern charm, family secrets, and slow, humid days in South Carolina. I picked this up on a trip to Charleston last summer (I love grabbing books by local authors set where I’m visiting). It’s a trite little read with familiar plot beats, but that’s exactly what summer reading is for.
  

Nonfiction Picks for Travel Lovers

Memoirs & Travel Tales with Heart

• The Good Girl’s Guide to Getting Lost by Rachel Friedman: Smart, funny, real. The kind of travel memoir that makes you want to pack a bag today. This was such a random find in a local Free Little Library box. Yet, it set me back on the course to fall in love with international travel again.
  

• How to Win at Travel by Brian Kelly: From The Points Guy himself. A practical but energizing guide for maximizing trips with miles, upgrades, and travel hacks. I can't think about summer without thinking about travel. Even though I think summer travel is overrated and encourage shoulder season travel, it's the perfect time to dig into to some knowledge that will up your travel game.
  

• What I Was Doing While You Were Breeding by Kristin Newman: One of my all-time favorites. Sharp, hilarious, and emotionally honest reflections on solo travel, love, and figuring it out on your own timeline. As a single, childfree woman I related to and absorbed this book page by page.
  

• Wild by Cheryl Strayed: The ultimate journey of healing, self-discovery, and grit. After losing her mother, Strayed hikes the Pacific Crest Trail alone. Whether you’re reading the book or watching the film adaptation, it will stick with you, and maybe even inspire your own big step forward.

Bonus Picks for Your Summer Reading List

• One Golden Summer by Carley Fortune: Two estranged childhood friends reunite on Prince Edward Island and find that the spark between them never really went away. I haven't read this one yet, but it seems to be one of the books of the summer and everyone I know is enjoying it, so it will be added to my TBR pile soon. Plus, I adore Carley Fortune books.
  

• The Body by Stephen King: Four boys take on a summer adventure of a lifetime. It might not typically be your first choice for a beach read, but this short novella which was the basis for the movie Stand By Me is an epic, nostalgic summer adventure. Check out my full review here.
  

• Hook, Line, and Sinker: Picking up where It Happened One Summer left off, this time, we get Fox and Hannah’s story, which is a slow-burn with more depth and even better banter.I loved this one even more than the first because I was already invested in the characters and I identified more with the protagonist in this one.
  

• Happy Place by Emily Henry: A group of friends returns to their shared vacation home, even though two of them are secretly broken up. It’s about love, friendship, and the ache of pretending everything’s okay. Not my favorite of hers, but still a standout summer read.
  

• People We Meet on Vacation by Emily Henry: My gateway into the Emily Henry universe. Two best friends go on vacation year after year until something shifts. It’s a classic “will they or won’t they,” filled with longing and humor.
  

• Eat, Pray, Love by Elizabeth Gilbert: A newly divorced woman sets out on a year-long journey through Italy, India, and Indonesia in search of pleasure, spirituality, and balance. Not a new or unknown book, but I still think this is just a good summer read. Every time I reread this or rewatch the movie, I start an internal dialogue with myself about where I want to go next in order to dig deeper into who I am.
  

Your Summer Reading Ritual

Everyone has a favorite summer reading spot. Mine changes depending on the day: a quiet train car with landscape passing by, a bench in the park with my iced chai latte, or tucked into a beach towel with sunscreen and no plans.

The best part of summer reading is that it doesn’t demand anything from you. These books are here for fun, comfort, catharsis, escape. No pressure. Just possibility.

So, what’s on your summer TBR this year? I’d love to know! Drop it in the comments or reply to this note. I’m always adding more to my list (and my carry-on).

If you need more recs as the season rolls on, you know where to find me. Feel free to send me a message.

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