Temps are rising, the days are longer, and skorts are everywhere. Summer’s here, baby, and so it’s time to revel in the best of the season. I’m talking BBQs, outdoor concerts, and aperol spritzes. (Are we still drinking those? TBH, I don’t care, I’m still ordering one to sit by the pool.) Speaking of sitting by the pool, no relaxing summer day is complete without a little reading material. But don’t worry, I’ve got you covered.
Now, I feel like there are a lot of different ideas about what constitutes the perfect summer read. Some people might be looking for an easy-breezy beach read with themes that aren’t too heavy. But for other people, when they’re reaching for a good summer book, they want something super-engrossing with a world rich enough to draw them in and away from whatever summer fun is happening in the outside world. And then for other people, a summer read simply means a book with a setting just as sunny as real life. No matter where you fall in the spectrum of summer readers, this list of 2025 summer books has a little something for everyone, from fantasy to mystery, from romance to historical fiction. So grab a spritz and settle in for the best summer of reading ever.
Summer 2025 Books
Romance
Can’t Get Enough by Kennedy Ryan – Release Date: May 13
The third book in Kennedy Ryan’s “Skyland” series, this emotional romance tells the story of an agent who’s given up on love as she takes care of an ailing parent, but a tech entrepreneur gets her to rethink everything.
Dream On, Ramona Riley by Ashley Herring Blake – Release Date: May 13
Ashley Herring Blake has become the unofficial queen of sapphic romance and I’m forever a fan. This book is all about a small-town waitress and a Hollywood star whose worlds collide.
Problematic Summer Romance by Ali Hazelwood – Release Date: May 27
I don’t know how Ali Hazelwood somehow releases like a million books a year, but she does, and they’re all steamy fun. Just like the name suggests, this one is full of problematic tropes, like an big age gap and the fact that the hero is the main character’s brother’s best friend. So if you’re into taboo side of romance, I highly recommend this one.
Never Been Shipped by Alicia Thompson – Release Date: June 10
Cruise ship fun meets angsty second-chance romance tropes in this one, which tells the story of two exes whose band reunites for one more performance aboard a cruise. If the phrase “I’m with the band” has ever done anything for you, this one is for you.
Thrillers
The Missing Half by Ashley Flowers – Release Date: May 6
Two women team up to to find each of their missing sisters in this thriller from the author of the hit book All Good People Here. Sisterly love with a thriller twist? Sign me up.
One in Four by Lucinda Berry – Release Date: May 13
This book is about a reality show about former child stars overcoming addiction, which is already enough to have me hooked. But when one of them is murdered, an investigation begins that ratchets up the drama even more.
The Last Ferry Out by Andrea Bartz – Release Date: May 20
A woman visits the island where her fiancé mysteriously died and discovers a community of expats — and the suspicion that he was murdered. It’s giving White Lotus Thailand expats, for sure.
The Compound by Aisling Rawle – Release Date: June 24
This book has been dubbed Lord of the Flies meets Love Island, which is definitely a vibe. It’s about a dystopian reality show where contestants must outlast each other in a desert compound and they’ll do anything to survive.
Fantasy/Horror/Sci-Fi
Immaculate Conception by Ling Ling Huang – Release Date: May 13
Set in the art world in the near future, this book is about a technology that allows people to access the memories and emotions of others. It’s already being called one of the best books of the year.
Bury Our Bones in the Midnight Soil by V.E. Schwab – Release Date: June 10
Fantasy legend V.E. Schwab (who wrote The Invisible Life of Addie La Rue) returns with this explosive book about three lesbian vampires in three different time periods, telling a story “about immortality and hunger.”
The Bewitching by Silvia Moreno-Garcia – Release Date: July 15
Another time-jumping fantasy, from another literary great. This one, from the author of Mexican Gothic, tells the story of three women in three different eras as they encounter “anger and witchcraft in this eerie multigenerational horror saga.”
Katabasis, by R.F. Kuang – Release Date: August 26
The author of Yellowface delves into fantasy with this story of two magician PhD students who travel to Hell to rescue the soul of their adviser. A trip to Hell might not be your typical summer vacation, but it’s probably worth it for this read.
New Fiction
Atmosphere: A Love Story by Taylor Jenkins Reid – Release Date: June 3
The great Taylor Jenkins Reid brings us her long-awaited new novel about the 1980s space shuttle program and a woman who dreams of going to the stars.
Hot Girls With Balls by Benedict Nguyen – Release Date: July 1
In this satire, the main characters go “where no Asian American trans woman has gone before: the men’s pro indoor volleyball league.” Meanwhile, they juggle an off-court romance and the aftermath of a pandemic.
The View From Lake Como by Adriana Trigiani – Release Date: July 8
This book is a comedy about a recently divorced woman who moves into her parents’ New Jersey home, but winds up taking a trip through Italy as she takes her fate into her own hands.
L.A. Women by Ella Berman – Release Date: August 5
Loosely inspired by the real-life L.A. lives of writers Joan Didion and Eve Babitz, this glamorous book delves into 1960s Laurel Canyon and the betrayal between two young women.
