Reasons to Be Loved by You by Hannah Brown (2026)
Contemporary romance. Standalone novel. Loved this one. Nikki is slightly adrift in her LA influencer lifestyle, still sort of recovering after her humiliating experience on a reality TV dating show when she finds out that her fiance had a secret girlfriend back home the whole time. She’s at home in Georgia with her family for her birthday and the 4th of July, when even more drama unfolds. Her younger brother has brought his new girlfriend, who was in fact the secret girlfriend of her own ex-fiance. Messy. Oh, and she comes with her dad and brother Nate, who is super cute and definitely has sparks with Nikki. Oh, and then the brother gets engaged and they’re planning and throwing an impromptu wedding. Nikki and Nate are the only ones questioning the speed of the thing, so they team up for some honest conversations and maybe some minor sabotage. It’s mostly Nikki dealing with her feelings, her family, and how to approach her future and whether that LA life is where she wants to be.
Advance ebook provided by Forever Books via NetGalley. Audiobook borrowed from my local library via Libby.
My Secret Duke by Sara Bennett (2025)
Historical romance. Regency-era England. Book 2 of the Romancing the Dukes series. Olivia and Ivo get caught playing billiards alone together, it causes a scandal, he proposes, but she turns him down. And then they keep running into each other for the next few months, even when Olivia is trying to move on and find a more reliable suitor. The main point here is that Olivia needs to learn to let go of her rigidity and have some fun with Ivo, while Ivo needs to cut out his reckless wagers and learn to be a serious duke for a bit. But there’s all sorts of meddling family drama in the way, and maybe a smuggling situation running up against the law. Honestly, this book dragged on a bit.
Advance ebook provided by Forever Books via NetGalley.
Samantha Spük: Paranormal Wedding Planner by Aleese Lin (2026)
Paranormal romance. Standalone novel. The premise of this was a lot of fun, but I think the book slowed down for me somewhere around the middle. The romance is a distant secondary plot to the one where Sabby is embracing her not-so-beige life. So Sabby is taking care of business after her grandmother’s death, but is somehow cursed to be stuck in Salem, and now she’s accidentally a wedding planner for paranormal beings. It’s total chaos with a talking head sidekick and a pixie wedding assistant. And most of the weddings have things that go wrong. The side plot is that she’s sort of dating Hanry, but it’s totally not serious because as soon as she can, Sabby is back to her boring accountant life in New York. Fun and kooky read.
Advance ebook provided by Saga Books via NetGalley. Audiobook borrowed from my local library via Libby.
The Summer Girlfriend by Kristina Forest (2026)
Contemporary romance. Book 1 of the Heart Beach series. This one was a lot of fun. Jeremiah has told his family that he wasn’t able to visit the family beach house recently because of a new girlfriend, and then his mom invites the new girlfriend to come along, except he doesn’t have a girlfriend at all. He has a chance meeting with Noelle, who is a bridesmaid-for-hire as a side gig, and he proposes a fake dating contract for hire. She needs to money to go back to school, so she goes along with it. Except it’s totally clear that these two are attracted to each other and get along great. Add in some messy family dynamics and it’s the perfect setup for summer drama. Loved seeing Noelle get along with Jeremiah’s family and for him to work out his own issues with them. Dual POV.
Advance ebook provided by Berkley Romance via NetGalley. Advance audiobook provided by Penguin Random House Audio.
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