Summer’s finally here, and it’s when I love reading the most, whether lying out by the pool or on the beach, or tucked in at night with the AC blasting. Summer days are longer, and I just want to relax and sink into a feel-good book with heart and depth—and maybe even have a little cry at the end.
When I set out to write my third novel, Reasons to Be Loved By You, I wanted to get more personal. Yes, it’s a fizzy, funny, feel-good romance, but it’s also a story of family: the secrets we keep, the pressures we put on ourselves, and the depths of those bonds even through difficult times. So I really had fun putting together my top 10 recent favorite reads that inspired me or share a similar vibe. They invite you to slow down, relax, and go on a journey of love, family and all the feels. You could throw any (or all) of them in a bag that goes everywhere with you this summer, and you will not regret it.
Enjoy summer more with these titles
Tom Lake by Ann Patchett
Patchett is such a masterful storyteller, obviously, and I loved this tale of a mother with a deliciously secretive and complicated past and the siblings who are piecing it together. She creates a wonderful sense of place, too, that makes you want to spend more time in its world. Truly one of my all-time favorite novels!
Tom Lake by Ann Patchett.
Harper
The Correspondent by Virginia Evans
This is another family narrative, but one told through letters, which was such a cool format. I love a good tale of finding love “at a certain age,” and this book has that element, but it’s also a reflection on what kinds of relationships become most important to you toward the end of a life—sometimes it’s the core family relationships, and sometimes it’s the ones that you least expect.
The Correspondent by Virginia Evans.
Crown
A Love Like the Sun by Riss M. Neilson
This was the perfect escapist read if you’re looking for a sizzling summer romance, and I loved the dynamic between quiet hometown girl Laniah and internet-famous Isaac—it’s sort of a flip of the dynamic between reality-TV-famous Nikki and good country boy Nate in my latest romance, and I just love to see how that plays out.
A Love Like the Sun by Riss M. Neilson.
Berkley
Theo of Golden by Allen Levi
Another one with a richly drawn setting that makes you feel like you are right there—and at home at the same time. The message of kindness and the value of all our interactions is so human and so moving. A light, easy, yet profound read.
Theo of Golden by Allen Levi.
Atria Books
One & Only by Maureen Goo
If you love Rebecca Serle’s books (which I do!), you’ll love this one too. The questions explored in this book about fate and the path your life was meant to take always resonate deeply with me. Gotta love a little age-gap romance too! And of course, in the end, this is also a story of family bonds and the stories we tell about who we are.
One & Only by Maurene Goo.
G.P. Putnam’s Sons
It’s Different This Time by Joss Richard
Even though I’m a country girl at heart, I do love New York City stories too, and this was such a sweet, fun second-chance romance that totally resonated with me!
It’s Different This Time by Joss Richard.
Dell
The Berry Pickers by Amanda Peters
Another story about family secrets, this one mostly set in the past (the 1960s), is about Indigenous workers on a blueberry farm in Maine. I loved this stunning tale of grief and identity—it was haunting and so immersive, and I was blown away by the writing!
The Berry Pickers by Amanda Peters.
Catapult
The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah
This one’s a sweepingly beautiful and romantic historical novel set in France during World War II. I love her books, and this one really got me; some of its images haunted me long after I had set it down.
The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah.
St. Martin’s Griffin
The Wedding People by Allison Espach
I loved how a somewhat shocking premise could turn into a compelling novel about finding all the reasons to fall back in love with life. It takes a ridiculous wedding party to remind Phoebe that life is worth living, and people are worth loving, not for their perfections but for their perfectly messy imperfections—a theme I really relate to!
The Wedding People by Alison Espach.
Henry Holt and Co.
Reasons to Be Loved by You by Hannah Brown
Obviously, I had to throw this in here, too! The Georgia lakeside setting, the family barbecues, buried secrets and a southern mom who makes the best food around… all of these make it my coziest and most personal novel yet. And of course, there’s Nikki, a recovering perfectionist who is still rebounding from her stint on a reality TV dating show—which I know a thing or two about! Nate is the type of guy Nikki least expects to fall in love with, and he might be my favorite of my romantic leads so far! I love a romance where it feels like they could also be best friends and always make each other laugh, and Nikki and Nate have that in spades.
Reasons to Be Loved by You by Hannah Brown.
Forever
