Summer ‘23 Romance Reads
By: Melina Farahmand
Founder & Owner of Past Present Future Co.
Executive Director: Guardians of Our Democracy
Author of: From Dust to Breath and When the Stars Collide
Here are a few romance books that have been released or are releasing this summer that I’m excited about and recommend you add to your book club. I’ve already read a few of these stories, but some of them I have not yet. As always, please check content trigger warnings before reading. Some of these books do contain sexual content.
100 Lifetimes of Us by Maggie Gates
Every good baker has secret recipes, but that’s not the secret that could put Annie in danger.
* I received an advanced reader copy of this beautiful book, and let’s just say you’re in for a wonderful story. 5/5 star rating from me.*
The Unwanted Marriage by Catherina Maura
From the author of The Wrong Bride and The Temporary Wife comes an angsty and steamy billionaire arranged marriage romance.
*I ate this up, it was so good!!*
Babymoon or Bust by Ava Hunter
One bump. Two strangers. Three days to fall in love.
*This was a sweet and wholesome read that I finished within just a couple of hours. I really enjoyed Hunter’s writing style and the pace of the book.*
Reckless by Elsie Silver
Theo Silva. Rowdy bull rider. Notorious ladies’ man. Scorching hot trouble wrapped up in a drool-worthy package.
And he’s looking at me like I might be his next meal. But I’m almost free of my toxic marriage and have sworn off men entirely. So all I see when I look back is temptation served up with a heaping side of heartbreak.Gracefully Yours by Jennifer Chipman
Release date: June 30, 2023
Gracefully Yours is a best friends to lovers, marriage pact, fake relationship romance. It is an interconnected standalone, the final book in the Best Friends Book Club Series. Contains steamy sex scenes, adult language, and intentional pregnancy.
When Life Gives You Lemons (Sun Tower Series Book 1) by Noor Sasha
Release date: July 23, 2023.
Alina Azlan has two missions in life: start her daycare centre and have a happily ever after. But when an unexpected seizure sends her first-ever boyfriend running for the hills, Alina wonders if her epilepsy has destined her for a lifetime of spinsterhood. As a hopeless romantic, though, she agrees to a blind date set up by her baba, only to exchange unpleasantries with an arrogant yet devilishly handsome hotelier who is anything but Flynn Rider-esque. Azeer Khan has two goals for the future: provide his adopted daughter, Zoha, with a comfortable life and maintain his freedom despite familial pressures. However, fate intervenes in the form of a blind date with none other than Alina Azlan, his childhood tormentor. And things only get worse when Alina tampers with his little sister's wedding cake, and the two end up covered in a Pakistani buffet. Their punishment? An arranged marriage that, miraculously, offers mutual benefits. Alina can pursue her dream of opening her daycare in the prestigious Sun Tower hotel while sharing a bed with someone who sets alarms for her medication. Meanwhile, Azeer can give Zoha the mother she’s been wishing for—not that it would hurt to wake up to Alina’s dimples every morning, either. With unwanted butterflies fluttering around them, Alina and Azeer are left wondering if their sour beginning could eventually lead to a sweet ending or if it will leave them with a case of lemony heartburn.
Fault Line by Ki Stephens
KAIA Karras has always excelled in the classroom. She’s a born and bred overachiever, chronic over thinker, and full time seeker of academic validation. But being top of the class doesn’t happen without making sacrifices. So when it comes to relationships, she’s only looking for something casual and transactional. A way to shut off her brain for a little while, and finally get some much needed sleep. That is, until she spends just one night with Holden Becker, a talented hockey player with a sharp wit and a secret soft spot for her. HOLDEN Becker plays by his own rules, both on and off the ice. He's used to getting what he wants, whether it's the attention of his coach or the admiration of his teammates. But when he and Kaia both secure top marks for their research proposals, they're forced to share an academic advisor. Their rivalry quickly turns to passion, and they find themselves in a precarious situation: hooking up behind closed doors, all while trying to keep their relationship strictly casual. Three years of rivalry. Just one night to cut the tension. When the ground beneath them begins to shake, will they hold on or let go?
Out on a Limb by Hannah Bonam-Young
Release date: July 11, 2023
Winnifred "Win" McNulty has always been wildly independent. Not one to be coddled for her limb difference, Win has spent most of her life trying to prove that she can do it all on her own. And, with some minor adjustments, she's done just fine. That is until she has a one-night stand with the incredibly charming Bo, a perfect stranger. And that one night changes everything. While Bo is surprisingly elated to step upto the plate, Win finds herself unsure of whether she can handle this new challenge on her own or if she’ll need a helping hand. Together, Win and Bo decide to get to know one another as friends and nothing more. But, as they both should know by now, life rarely goes according to plan.
Against the Rules by Brittany Kelley
The Roommate Pact by Allison Ashley
Release date: August 1, 2023
All of the fun, none of the heartache…as long as they stick to the agreement.
The proposition is simple: if ER nurse Claire Harper and her roommate, firefighter Graham Scott, are still single by the time they’re forty, they’ll take the proverbial plunge together…as friends with benefits. Maybe it’s the wine, but in the moment, Claire figures the pact is a safe-enough deal, considering she hasn’t had much luck in love and he’s in no rush to settle down. Like, at all. Besides, there’s no way she could ever really fall for Graham and his thrill-seeking ways. Not after what happened to her father… Just as things begin to heat up way before the proposed deadline, Graham’s injured in a serious rock climbing accident—and he needs Claire’s help to heal. She’ll do whatever it takes to nurse him back to health…even if it means moving in to Graham’s bed and putting up with his little dog, who hates her. But with this no-strings arrangement taking a complicated turn, keeping “for now” from turning into “forever” isn’t as easy as they’d planned.
