Weekly Reads: June 15 to 21, 2026 (contemporary romance, historical romance)

Tropesick by Lauren Okie (2026)

Contemporary romance. Standalone novel. This book had so much messy angst. The setup reminded me a lot of How to End a Love Story by Yulin Kuang, except we’re left in suspense for most of the book to learn how Katie’s brother and Tyler’s best friend had died eight years ago. Katie and Tyler were neighbors and friends and maybe more, until her brother died and Tyler walked away from her with no explanation. And now they’re stuck working together to ghost write a romance novel for an eccentric recluse. The push and pull between these two will definitely punch you in the gut, and I was hanging on to find out what ruined their past and how they could possibly build a future. Loved it.

Advance ebook provided by Avon Books via NetGalley. Advance audiobook provided by LibroFM.

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Sometime This Century by Samantha Silva (2026)

Speculative romance. Time travel from present day America to Regency-era England. Standalone novel. The main plot here was fun, but it didn’t feel much like a romance book since the romance plot was so secondary. Annabel is a writer who is visiting England to deal with her boss’s inherited estate. She’s got a fixation on all things Austen and Regency period, so she’s looking forward to the experience. There’s even a Regency society that throws events. Except, she’s actually traveling back in time. At some point in present-day, her influencer sister Cassandra and vlogging sidekick Billy show up, and then all three of them travel back in time to a ball and then get stuck there. Most of the plot is these three trying to go back to their own time and trying to blend in with society and not get caught. Oh, and Annabel may have a suitor in the Darcy-like Henry, but like, we barely know the guy, so it’s hard to be invested.

Advance ebook provided by Harper Perennial via NetGalley. Advance audiobook provided by Harper Audio.

Never Mind the Mistletoe by Louisa Darling (2026)

Historical romance. Regency-era England. Book 2 of the Drake Family series. Estranged married couple, Theo and Arabella, are on their separate but parallel journeys to their country estate for Christmas. It’s their only son’s holiday wish each year for the three of them to spend the holiday together, despite the couple maintaining totally separate households. It’s a road trip filled with broken carriages, snowstorms, and more. All this trouble leads them to spend more time together than usual and actually maybe sort of communicate and work out their issues. It’s a novella, so the conflict gets resolved pretty quickly, but I enjoyed it all the same.

Ebook borrowed from my local library via Libby. Audiobook borrowed from my local library via Hoopla.

Phoebe Berman’s Gonna Lose It by Brooke Averick (2026)

Contemporary romance. Standalone novel. The romance plot here is secondary to the personal growth that Phoebe has to undergo to deal with her anxiety. It’s a great setup: the ever-anxious Phoebe has a list to embolden herself to lose her virginity by age 30. She’s our pre-K teacher, list-loving, panic attack having heroine of the story, but we actually don’t know the hero of the story. There’s three potential guys to root for: Hinge-match and ex-classmate Matthew, best friend and roommate Jonathan, and new teacher co-worker Finn. It’s kind of a mess of Phoebe getting caught in awkward situations and embarrassing herself. And since we really don’t know the guy very well, the book falls a little flat on the relationship-building part of a romance novel. Still great to read, loved the big friend group dynamics, but not enough romance.

Ebook borrowed from my local library via Libby. Advance audiobook provided by Penguin Random House Audio.

Chase Me If You Can by Heather Frances (2026)

Contemporary romance. Standalone novel. Love the banter here in this rivals to lovers romance. Sloane is a wedding photographer and storm chaser dealing with a codependent mother and two slightly unreliable younger brothers. She’s on her annual storm chasing trip, hoping to photograph an image that will win the cover contest of a coveted magazine. But she’s dealing with the annoyingly arrogant Wes along the way. He takes way too many risks on the road, flirts with too many other people, and is generally not reliable enough to tempt Sloane. And then they get stuck together and actually maybe start talking and connecting. The tension here is great, and Wes turns out to be the most supportive person in Sloane’s life. Loved this book so much.

Advance ebook provided by Berkley via NetGalley. Advance audiobook provided by Penguin Random House Audio.

The Duke’s Got Mail by Samara Parish (2026)

Historical romance. Victorian-era England. Book 2 of the England’s Sweethearts series. I always enjoy a good You’ve Got Mail retelling, and this one definitely hit the spot. The letter writing was excellent, plus the meet cute, and the eventual rivalry. Eleanor is the fastest compositor in the publishing industry, but quickly put out of business by the introduction of the linotype, a machine built to mechanize typesetting. And Peter, the duke, is the culprit. Tons of fighting and flirting and a slow softening and forgiveness. I loved Peter’s messy and loud sisters and how he could only be himself with Eleanor.

Advance ebook provided by Forever Books via NetGalley.