Summer Reads 2025 from Publishers Weekly Publishers Weekly

32 Days in May

Betty Corrello (Avon)

Reeling from a lupus diagnosis, Nadia Fabiola returns to her Jersey Shore hometown to regroup. Also in town laying low after a PR crisis is television star Marco Antoniou. As the pair embark on what they agree will be a no-strings-attached summer fling, Corrello captures both the struggle of adjusting to major life changes and the joy of new love. The result is a sizzling and deeply emotional contemporary.

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Behooved

M. Stevenson (Bramble)

Wit, whimsy, and a stunning white horse animate Stevenson’s adorable romantasy debut. The arranged marriage between Lady Bianca of Demaria and Prince Aric of Gildenheim is imperiled when, on their wedding night, Aric is cursed to spend each day as a horse, only returning to human form at night. As they set out to break the spell (with Bianca riding on Aric’s back), quirky worldbuilding, simmering political intrigue, and slow-burning romance make the pages fly.

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Can’t Get Enough

Kennedy Ryan (Forever)

Bestseller Ryan has earned a reputation for writing achingly emotional contemporaries starring nuanced and mature characters—and the stunning standalone third entry in her Skyland series is no exception. It pairs successful entrepreneur Hendrix, who has little time for romance while caring for her mother, who has Alzheimer’s, with billionaire Maverick, who’s determined to be there for her in whatever way she needs. Perfectly balancing realism and wish fulfilment, this hits all the right notes.

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Disco Witches of Fire Island

Blair Fell (Alcove)

At the heart of this effervescent romance is an uplifting and earnest ode to found family. In the summer of 1989, Joe Agabian heads to Fire Island, where he grieves his late boyfriend’s death from AIDs, meets a strapping sailor, and is promptly taken in by a group of queer elders who, unbeknownst to him, perform magic rituals to keep their community safe. It’s a moving mix of magical realism and sweet summer love.

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When Javi Dumped Mari

Mia Sosa (Putnam)

In college, besties Javi and Mari made a promise that they would each get approval of the other’s romantic partners. But now Mari’s getting married, and Javi, who’s been nursing a crush on her for years, hasn’t even met the guy. He’s got six weeks to stop the wedding—leading to both laugh-out-loud antics and heartfelt revelations on both sides. Sosa’s latest rom-com is friends-to-lovers done right.

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