New YA Summer Romance Books
New YA Summer Romance books? Yes, please! There’s something for everyone, whether you want to escape to Scotland with a prince, fake-date your way through summer in a lake town, or fall in love on a road trip through Italy. These are the new YA summer romances worth adding to your TBR right now. Plus what to read after you finish!
New YA Summer Romance Books 2026
These are my standout picks of the season: books with premises so good (or authors so beloved) that they go straight to the top of my list.
Table of Contents
Change of Plans by Sarah Dessen | May 5
YES!! YA romance icon Sarah Dessen is back, and this book has all the hallmarks of her best work: a summer of emotional growth, a girl who’s been living in someone else’s shadow, and my favorite kind of love interest….
When Finley’s relationship implodes, she finds herself at a family vacation house she didn’t know existed, surrounded by cousins, found-family vibes, and a charmingly awkward guitarist named Ben. This is a Dessen summer book through and through!
WHAT TO READ NEXT? Sarah Dessen has a HUGE backlist, but I recommend you start with The Truth About Forever and go from there. A charmingly awkward musician also makes me think of my favorite Sarah Dessen EVER, This Lullaby.
The Summer of Broken Rules by K.L. Walther | May 5
NYT Bestselling author K.L. Walther (The Summer of Broken Rules) is back with a story about Olivia, a girl who feels stuck. All her friends have headed college while she’s still at home, spending time with beloved her grandmother, Annie, who was diagnosed with dementia.
The family heads to Martha’s Vineyard, which was a magical place for Annie. As Olivia goes through a box of old photos and memorabilia from Annie’s time there, she makes her own memories. too.
WHAT TO READ NEXT? I’d recommend Love & Gelato by Jenna Evans Welsh. If you’ve read that, dive into Second Chance Summer by Morgan Matson.
If You Were Here by Abigail Johnson | April 28
If You Were Here is a great way to kick off summer reading season. Lili heads to Nantucket to finish her late father’s historical research and ends up working alongside Wren, a cranky local history buff with a serious tourist problem. Grumpy/sunshine, plus a mystery, and a beautiful setting.
WHAT TO READ NEXT? After reading this, check out this Y2K YA Romance Book Set on Nantucket (Nantucket Blue by Leila Howland) and add What I Thought Was True by Huntley Fitzpatrick.
This Must Be the Place by Kelly Quindlen | May 26
One of the most fun premises of the summer: Louisa inherits a gay bar from her late great-uncle, a hometown football legend who had to hide his true self. Now she’s fighting to keep The Frisky Cricket open and falling for the sharp-tongued daughter of the man who wants to tear it town to build an athletic facility. Funny, emotional, and political.
WHAT TO READ NEXT? After reading about a girl who inherits a gay bar, read The Chapel Wars, a YA book about a girl who inherits a wedding chapel.
Ancient History Between Us by Kaitlin Hill | June 23
Childhood best friends who haven’t spoken since a disastrous first kiss, reunited at an Italian villa. Cammie is secretly searching for her biological father; West has crashed his dad’s work trip. Their plan to avoid each other lasts approximately five minutes. A second-chance romance that takes them down the Southern Italian coast with a mystery, an old journal, and a lot of unfinished history. Perfect summer reading: gorgeous setting, slow-burn tension, satisfying payoff.
WHAT TO READ NEXT? Longing for a European summer adventure? Check out these YA Books Like Emily in Paris, many set in Italy!
Find Your Read by Trope & Vibe
Beach, Lake & Island Reads
- If You Were Here: Nantucket summer + grumpy historian + family mystery
- Last Kiss of Summer: Cape Cod next-door-neighbor romance with real emotional stakes
- Summer of Second Chances: Martha’s Vineyard, a grandmother’s memories, and a boy from her past
- Until Next Summer: Cape Cod waitressing job, a long-time crush, and a love triangle
- Lake Life: A lakeside fake-dating scheme, a messy friend group, and an unexpected love story
- You Jump First: Two heartbroken teens at Big Bear Lake who find each other when they weren’t looking
Summer Abroad & On the Road
- Royal Summer: An aspiring writer lands in Scotland and discovers her pub meet-cute is the literal Prince of England
- Vacation Shift: A teen on a Japan bus tour teams up with a fellow traveler to stop their parents from falling for each other (it goes sideways)
- Ancient History Between Us: Childhood frenemies, an Italian villa, and a road trip down the Southern Italian coast
- Stops Along The Way: A cross-country caravan road trip from college to Nebraska, complete with a board game rival and unexpected feelings
Queer Summer Love
Dive into these great WLW YA Summer Romance picks!
- Lake Life: Maya fake-dating scheme at Spruce Lake hides something much more real (F/F)
- This Must Be the Place: Louisa fights for her uncle’s gay bar and falls for the wrong girl in the best way (F/F)
- Hallie’s Rules for a Recovering Romantic:A six-time heartbreak survivor swears off romance at summer camp, then meets her gorgeous, uncrackable roommate Julia (F/F)
Second Chances & Old Flames
- Last Kiss of Summer: Sera and Luke, next-door neighbors forever bonded by a shared medical history, finally get their moment
- Ancient History Between Us: One disastrous first kiss, years of silence, and a summer in Italy to figure out if it’s really over
- You Jump First: Not exactly second chance, but two heartbroken teens at the lake who might be each other’s fresh start
Extraordinary Summers
- Royal Summer: American intern accidentally falls for the Prince of England at a Scottish castle
- Stars, Stripes & Summer Nights : The First Daughter, exiled to a Wi-Fi-free country inn, falls for the innkeeper’s sarcastic son
- This Must Be the Place: A girl inherits a gay bar, then and fights to save it
- Vacation Shift: A teen masterminds a plan to keep her mom from falling in love on a tour bus in Japan
Opposites Attract
- If You Were Here: History-obsessed local vs. determined summer tourist (he comes around)
- Rani Deshpande Takes the Wheel: Rani is loud, Kush is reserved, and driving lessons in a close-knit Desi community are about to get very complicated
- Stars, Stripes & Summer Nights: The President’s daughter vs. the boy who inadvertently got her exiled
The Full YA Summer Romance List
Every new YA summer romance releasing this season, organized by date.
APRIL 28
If You Were Here by Abigail Johnson
Lili Gardner heads to Nantucket to finish her late father’s research into a maligned family ancestor — and ends up working alongside Wren McCleave, a history-obsessed local with a deep distrust of tourists. They only have a summer to find answers, but the most surprising discoveries turn out to be about each other.
- Tropes: Grumpy/sunshine, forced proximity, found in grief, historical mystery
- Summer vibes: Nantucket, researching old family secrets, summer of self-discovery
WHAT TO READ NEXT? After this, head to my list of Y2K YA Romance Books Set on Nantucket
Last Kiss of Summer by Jessica M. Felleman
Sera and Luke grew up next door to each other on Cape Cod, bonded by a strange medical connection since birth. Two summers ago, something almost happened between them — then everything fell apart. Now Sera is back, determined to move on, but Luke has changed, the chemistry is still there, and she’s just gotten some difficult news.
- Tropes: Second chance, next-door neighbors, childhood friends, emotional stakes
- Summer vibes: Cape Cod, secret beach, art camp nostalgia, bittersweet summer
WHAT TO READ NEXT? After this, check out my YA Romances Featuring Characters With Health Challenges
MAY 5
Summer of Second Chances by K.A. Walther
Olivia has stayed home while her friends went off to college — her grandmother Annie has dementia, and she can’t bear to leave. But when her family heads to Martha’s Vineyard for the summer, Olivia discovers a box of Annie’s old photos and memories from the island, and follows in her footsteps. There she meets Connor, a boy who makes her think about a future she’s been too scared to want.
- Tropes: Small town romance, family ties, grief and hope, second chance at living
- Summer vibes: Martha’s Vineyard, family history, recreating old memories, tissue warning
WHAT TO READ NEXT? After this, read This Classic Y2K YA Book About Love and Loss
Until Next Summer by Allison Ashley
Amelia’s best friend has abandoned her for boarding school, leaving her adrift for the summer. A new waitressing job at the local seafood restaurant becomes a welcome distraction — especially when it turns out she works alongside Myles, her longtime crush, who is inexplicably interested in her. Then another boy enters the picture, and Amelia has to choose.
- Tropes: Love triangle, friends to strangers, long-time crush, best friend drama
- Summer vibes: Cape Cod, seaside restaurant job, sun-soaked indecision
WHAT TO READ NEXT? Summer Romance With a Love Triangle? Check out my list of Books Like The Summer I Turned Pretty
Change of Plans by Sarah Dessen
Finley has always felt most comfortable in someone else’s shadow — especially her magnetic boyfriend Colin’s. When her relationship falls apart and she finds herself at a family vacation house she didn’t know existed, she gets her first real look at who she is outside of someone else’s story. The cousins, the found-family diner crew, and the charmingly awkward guitarist Ben help her figure it out.
- Tropes: Found family, self-discovery, opposites attract, post-breakup romance
- Summer vibes: Family vacation house, cozy diner setting, summer of becoming yourself
WHAT TO READ NEXT? Start Dessen’s backlist with The Truth About Forever
MAY 12
Royal Summer by Kass Morgan
Hannah scores a summer internship in Scotland with her favorite author (yay!) But when her idol disappears toJapan, she’s rescued by a tall, annoyingly cute stranger at the pub who gets her a job at the royal family’s castle. He’s Finnian, Prince of England, who is confined to the castle as punishment for his party boy reputation. What starts as his amusement becomes something neither of them expected.
- Tropes: Royalty romance, American abroad, forced proximity, class divide
- Summer vibes: Scottish castle, rainy pubs, star-crossed summer
WHAT TO READ NEXT? Go straight to my list of YA Books With Royal Romance
Stars, Stripes & Summer Nights by Celeste Dador
All First Daughter Abby wanted was one normal night. One impulsive pizza order later, she’s front-page news and exiled to a Wi-Fi-free country inn for the summer. The inn belongs to Gabriel’s family — sarcastic, camera-obsessed, and decidedly unimpressed by presidential perks (also kind of the reason for the pizza fiasco). Abby’s summer bucket list slowly becomes real life, one small-town adventure at a time.
- Tropes: Opposites attract, fish out of water, famous/political, slow-burn
- Summer vibes: Country inn, small-town summer, bucket list adventures, no Wi-Fi chaos
WHAT TO READ NEXT? Books with teens and famous parents: My Life Next Door by Huntley Fitzpatrick or The Unexpected Everything by Morgan Matson.
Sparks Fly by Hazel Henry
Three sisters, three summer romances! Georgia is distracted from her long-distance boyfriend by a local boy; Daisy is figuring out what her kiss with best friend Owen actually meant while spending time with a new guy; Eden is stuck on a wilderness survival course with her ex. Cozy, sisterly, sun-drenched.
- Tropes: Multiple POVs, love triangles, friends-to-lovers, second chance
- Summer vibes: Lake town, small community, sisterhood, summer at every speed
WHAT TO READ NEXT? Along for the Ride by Sarah Dessen (then watch the Netflix adaptation.
MAY 19
Stops Along the Way by Anna Sortino
Iris doesn’t trust the odds, not when there’s a 1-in-4 chance she’s inherited a family vision issue. But when she travels east to help her sister drive home from college, she unexpectedly ends up caravaning across the country alongside Declan, her high school board game club rival. Car troubles, sister drama, and way too many miles to pretend the feelings aren’t there.
- Tropes: Rivals to lovers, road trip romance, slow burn, family dynamics
- Summer vibes: Cross-country drive, rest stops and detours, falling in love on the map
WHAT TO READ NEXT? Best YA Road Trip Romances. Obviously!
Rani Deshpande Takes the Wheel by Arushi Avachat
Rani is determined to reinvent herself the summer before transferring to a new university: dream internship, packed social calendar, and finally learning to drive. The catch: her instructor is Kush, a family friend she’s known her whole life and always low-key crushed on. Set inside a vibrant, close-knit Desi community with all the meddlesome family energy of a Jane Austen novel.
- Tropes: Childhood crush, opposites attract, slow burn, community/family pressure
- Summer vibes: driving lessons, reinvention summer
WHAT TO READ NEXT? My favorite odd-couple YA Romance: 10 Things I Hate About Pinky
MAY 26
Lake Life by Tanya Bateau
Maya is stuck at Spruce Lake for the summer, unable to avoid her lifelong best friend Rashida after confessing her feelings last year. Gabe was sent here by her mom to stay out of trouble and is extremely not happy about it. Their solution: a fake-dating scheme to make Rashida jealous and give Gabe a wholesome reputation. The plan goes sideways in the funniest, most romantic possible way.
- Tropes: Fake dating, unrequited love (complicated), F/F romance, slow burn
- Summer vibes: Lakeside community, small town, protest subplot, summer of revelations
WHAT TO READ NEXT? YA Books Featuring Fake Dating
This Must Be the Place by Kelly Quindlen
When Louisa Wade inherits a gay bar from her late great-uncle, a beloved hometown football legend, she vows to keep it open for the queer community. Standing in her way: the college football coach whose daughter Aubrey keeps showing up in Louisa’s orbit. A battle over the bar’s future becomes something much more complicated.
- Tropes: F/F romance, enemies (sort of) to lovers, found family, legacy and identity
- Summer vibes: Small town Alabama, queer community, summer of activism
WHAT TO READ NEXT? The Chapel Wars — a girl inherits a wedding chapel
JUNE 23
Vacation Shift by Lily Chu
Ivy is clearly cursed: her parents just separated, her situationship is hooking up with someone else, and she’s been booked on a Japan bus tour full of seniors by her well-meaning mom. Then she discovers her mom and a fellow traveler’s dad are getting very cozy. As this CANNOT happen, she and the guy’s son, Matteo, scheme to keep them apart. Gilmore Girls meets reverse Parent Trap, set in Tokyo.
- Tropes: Anti-romance scheme, unexpected romance, grief and family upheaval, slow burn
- Summer vibes: Japan tour bus, international adventure, scheming with a stranger
WHAT TO READ NEXT: When You Get the Chance by Emma Lord or The Matchbreaker Summer by Annie Rains.
Ancient History Between Us by Kaitlin Hill
Cammie and West were childhood best friends until one disastrous first kiss ended everything. Now Cammie is spending the summer in Italy with her archaeologist mom while secretly searching for her biological father. But West is at the exact same Italian villa. Are they really sure that their history is actually ancient?
- Tropes: Second chance, childhood friends, forced proximity abroad, family secrets
- Summer vibes: Italian villa, Southern Italian coast road trip, archaeology and old journals
WHAT TO READ NEXT? My list of YA Books Like Emily in Paris, which includes fun titles set in Italy!
JUNE 30
You Jump First by Myah Ariel
Andie is spending the summer at her lake house hoping to finally make things happen with Patrick, her long-time will-they-won’t-they crush. Tommy is at the same lake trying to have the perfect summer with his girlfriend — until he gets spectacularly dumped via text. Now two heartbroken strangers are in the same boat, and heartbreak has a way of making unexpected connections.
- Tropes: Unexpected romance, multiple POVs, heartbreak healing, summer tension
- Summer vibes: Lake house summer, fireworks, found comfort, slow-burn in disguise
WHAT TO READ NEXT? The Summer I Turned Pretty vibes — check out my book list!
JULY 7
Hallie’s Rules for a Recovering Romantic by Jessica Lewis
Hallie has had her heart broken six times and is done with romance. But Julia, her gorgeous roommate at a academic summer camp is absolutely a problem. A story about reinvention, the rules we set for ourselves, and why the heart is terrible at following instructions.
- Tropes: No-romance-pact, F/F romance, opposites attract, summer camp
- Summer vibes: Academic summer camp, slow defrosting, found confidence
WHAT TO READ NEXT? These nerdy rival romances: Noteworthy by Riley Redgate | The Rival by Emma Lord | The Only Thing Worse Than You is Me.
Quizzes and Summer Romance Reading Guide!
- My Master Summer Romance 2026 Post – all the summer books in one place!
- Grab My Summer Romance Reading Guide with a checklist of ALL the summer romances I could find, plus a bingo card, a coloring reading tracker and more!
- Since The May House felt more like women’s fiction, I didn’t include it, but there are great titles on it!
I also have two summer quizzes for you to take, my Find Your Perfect Summer Trope Quiz and my Choose Your Summer Romance Adventure Quiz. Take them both and get book recommendations based on your answ
Love adult romance too? My Master Post on New Summer Romance Books for 2026 has all the top summer romance books you need to know about. Be sure to check it out and download my ultimate Summer Romance Reading Guide!
Which of these are you adding to your summer TBR? Let me know in the comments!
