Weekly Reads: July 13 to 19, 2026 (historical romance, contemporary romance)

Always and Forever by Beverly Jenkins (2000)

Historical romance. Standalone novel. Events overlap with Topaz. Prologue starts with Grace being jilted at the altar, but that’s a pretty minor detail aside from her not trusting men. She’s being asked by her cousin to round up some mail order brides for him and his men in Kansas. So she’s leading a wagon train to their destination. (Not the regular train, because, you know, Jim Crow). She hires Jackson to help get the women ready for the trip and to guide them along the way. Sparks are definitely flying between these two, and as much as Grace tries to resist, she gives in pretty quickly. Jackson has his own hangups, with being a wanted man in Texas after an altercation with the family who killed his father. His plan is to get justice and clear his name after the wagon train business is done, but Grace thinks that’s a bad idea. Lots of danger and drama here. Classic Ms. Bev.

Ebook borrowed from my local library via Libby.

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Return to Sender by Stephanie Parente (2026)

Contemporary romance. Standalone novel. Ooh, this book was so messy and emotional. Violet is guardian to her 14-year-old sister Phoebe after the sudden death of their father, and she’s dealing with a sullen closed-off teenager. Until they receive a letter returned to the previous occupant of their apartment. Of course Phoebe opens the letter and gets all emotionally invested in the story there. Violet is excited to see a spark of life in Phoebe after all this time. So now, they track down the letter writer, a Benji Dexter, and try to get the letter to its intended recipient. Dex is the grumpiest of grumps, but somehow friendly and caring of Phoebe. The three of them end up on a cross-country road trip to deliver the letter, and Violet and Dex grow closer along the way. It’s definitely a slow build of friendship, trust, and more here, with the road trip forcing everyone out of their comfort zones. I loved this book.

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

In Stormy Weather by Chelsea Curto (2026)

Contemporary romance. Standalone novel. They’re not really rivals: clearly this guy Sebastian has had a crush on Quincy since high school. But when they finally get together, it’s like fate coming together. So Quincy is a super smart, super talented, self-employed meteorologist who’s in the running for a job with the National Weather Service. Sebastian is a super arrogant, somewhat famous, national news-appearing meteorologist who’s burnt out from his New York City life and spending hurricane season in Florida. He’s also the brother of Quincy’s best friend Mia. There’s a big overlapping friend group here that forces Quincy and Sebastian together a lot over the Summer. And when they start teaming up for storm chases and social media reporting, it turns into so much more. Ugh, I love how Sebastian is so impressed by Quincy and how he sticks up for her.

Advance ebook provided by Atria Books via NetGalley.

Married with Benefits by Ellie Palmer (2026)

Contemporary romance. Standalone novel. Omg, this book made me laugh so much while I was listening/reading it. So Lainey is perpetually scraping by for cash, drives a run-down car as a not-Uber, part of the gig economy of her small tourist town in Wisconsin, and also suffers from bad health insurance on top of her chronic migraines. She meets Elliot when he’s a passenger in her rideshare, is instantly attracted, and then things take a sour turn when he tries to evict her from her house. But it’s ok, because she technically owns the house due to decades-long squatters’ rights. And then somehow she and Elliot enter into a marriage of convenience so she can have his fancy health insurance and so he can maybe convince her to sell him the house. Their flirting is delightful on top of all the calamities that befall them throughout this book. There’s so much going on, you have got to read it.

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