Summer has finally arrived, and I’m ready for it! I love the longer days, the more relaxed schedule, the popcorn-and-a-movie dinners when I don’t feel like cooking, and the excuse to spend a little more time with a book in my hand. I’m heading to my favorite beach town, Bethany Beach, Delaware, soon and am trying to convince myself that I don’t really need to bring five books for one week. But I’ll probably bring them anyway. Here are a few of my favorite romance reads from the past month — exactly the kind of stories I want tucked into my pool bag this season.

*****

Kasie West puts a fresh spin on fake dating in the charming, summery romcom Stranger Things Have Happened (Saturday Books).

Sutton is already juggling more than she can handle: managing her newly opened L.A. restaurant, traveling to her hometown to care for her difficult mother after an accident, and dealing with an unexpected breakup. When a chance encounter at a bar leads to a bizarre bet involving couples therapy, she agrees to pretend to be in a relationship with a complete stranger to prove that a therapist can tell the difference between real love and fake. What begins as an absurd experiment quickly becomes complicated as Sutton is forced to confront old wounds, complicated family dynamics, and the possibility that her feelings might not be pretend after all.

That stranger is Elijah, the brother of Sutton’s former friend’s fiancé. Initially, he comes across as arrogant (if annoyingly handsome), but beneath the charm is a thoughtful man willing to play along with an increasingly ridiculous scheme. As therapy homework and staged relationship milestones force them to spend more time together, their easy banter and growing trust begin to blur the lines between fiction and reality.

West excels at balancing laugh-out-loud moments with genuine emotional depth, and the unusual premise gives a familiar trope an entertaining new twist. Sutton is an easy heroine to root for, especially as she navigates her complicated bond with her mother and learns that she doesn’t have to carry every burden on her own. With plenty of chemistry between the leads, Stranger Things Have Happened delivers exactly the kind of breezy, feel-good romance that’s perfect for summer.

*****

A murder mystery, a second-chance romance, and a charming beach-town setting make Liz Lawson’s It Happened One Murder (Sourcebooks Landmark) an irresistible June read.

After losing her dream job as a magazine writer, Harriet Baker reluctantly returns to her hometown of Logan Island, New Jersey, hoping her stay will be temporary. But when a dead body turns up at her birthday party — and the prime suspect is the sister of her former fling, Nic Allbright — Harriet is handed an opportunity. If she can uncover the truth behind the murder, she might just earn her way back into journalism. The only problem? To investigate the crime, she’ll have to work closely with Nic.

With his sister accused of murder, Nic is determined to clear her name, even if it means teaming up with Harriet. Their reunion is complicated by old feelings, lingering misunderstandings, and undeniable chemistry that neither seems eager to acknowledge. As they dig deeper into the secrets hiding beneath their picturesque beachside town, the pair find themselves drawn together once again while racing to uncover the real killer.

Lawson does a fantastic job blending romance and mystery in this wholly enjoyable read. The investigation is packed with twists and surprises, while Harriet and Nic’s second-chance romance ups the emotional stakes. I love a slow-burn romcom mystery that keeps me guessing, and Lawson delivers just that.

*****

Annabel Monaghan crafts another heartfelt romance filled with warmth, humor, and swoon-worthy moments in Dolly All the Time (Putnam).

Dolly Brick has spent most of her life taking care of everyone else. After her mother left, Dolly became the dependable one — helping raise her brother, who has cognitive disabilities from a car accident, and her younger sister. Dolly eventually escaped to Boston, where she has built a life for herself and her teenage son, but every summer she returns to her Rhode Island hometown to do household maintenance and keep her family’s business, the Brick Fish House seafood shop, from slipping into financial ruin. When she learns the family home may not survive without costly repairs, Dolly agrees to an unexpected arrangement with wealthy Stewart Whitfield: pretend to be his girlfriend in exchange for the money she desperately needs.

Stewart, heir to the powerful family for whom the town is named, has grown up under the weight of expectation. He’s as type-A as they come, a workaholic desperate to prove that he can take the helm of his family’s empire — even when he doesn’t really agree with the direction the company is headed. After a very public breakup that makes his family question whether he can balance the demands of the business with a family, the fake-dating arrangement with Dolly offers him an easy way out.

What he doesn’t expect is sharp, capable Dolly, who forces him out of his comfort zone. And Dolly, who hasn’t had a serious relationship in years, has built an identity around self-reliance that makes letting Stewart in feel risky. What if she gets used to having someone around who actually wants to take care of her?

There’s no one better than Monaghan at writing emotional intimacy that builds slowly and believably. If I hadn’t finished it already, this is one I’d be taking with me to the beach, because it’s everything I could want in a summer romance.

Kristina Wright lives in Virginia with her husband, their two sons, two Goldendoodles, and a ginger cat. She’s a regular contributor at BookBub and a lifelong fan of romance fiction. Find her on Bluesky at @kristinawright.