12 Novels to Help You Transition from Spring to Summer

This is absolutely not how they pictured their summer going.

McKenna Boston is feeling stuck. She’s spent years growing her photography skills, only for her career to hit a wall. She’s ready to move on, and she will, just as soon as she helps her sister’s boyfriend stage the perfect proposal. But when her best laid plans go awry, and a handsome stranger accidentally ends up with the heirloom ring, McKenna hops on a flight to retrieve it. Piece of cake, right?

Nate Lambert was hoping to enjoy a relaxing summer before starting his new job as a literature professor, but he arrives in Tennessee to discover his mom’s bed and breakfast is struggling, and there’s a long list of repairs to be tackled. The last thing he needs is a gorgeous, determined photographer searching for a ring he doesn’t have since the airline lost his luggage somewhere on his route from Nebraska.

With the ring nowhere to be found, all McKenna can do is wait and use the time to build her portfolio and plan her next career move. But she also can’t help getting swept up in Nate’s bed and breakfast renovations and in planning a community concert with the townsfolk. As both await news of Nate’s suitcase, it begins to seem their serendipitous meeting, and the proposal gone wrong, could actually be everything going right… and that this may be their chance at a love neither could have pictured.

Welcome to Hartley-by-the-Sea in England’s beautiful Lake District, where two sisters who meet as strangers must learn not just to get along, but work together…

When Lucy Bagshaw’s life in Boston falls apart, thanks to a scathing editorial written by her famous artist mother, she impulsively accepts her half-sister Juliet’s invitation to stay with her in her seaside village in northern England. Lucy is expecting quaint cottages and cream teas, but instead finds that Juliet is a distant host, the weather is wet, windy, and cold, and her new boss, Alex Kincaid, is a disapproving widower who only hired her as a favor to her sister.

Despite the invitation she grudgingly offered, Juliet is shocked at how Lucy bursts into her orderly life–and starts to mess everything up, her memories included. Lucy’s version of their childhood shakes Juliet’s certainties about her own, and as she faces her current challenges, both private and painful, she finds it is her sister’s irrepressible–and annoying–optimism that might be what helps her to heal.

Can these rainy-day sisters find a way to seek the sunshine together?

Present Day: Keaton Smith is desperate for a fresh start. So when her mother needs someone to put her childhood home in Beaufort, North Carolina, on the market—the home that Keaton didn’t know existed until now—she jumps at the chance to head south. But the moment she steps foot inside the abandoned house, she’s confronted with secrets about grandparents who died before she was born. And as she gets to know her charming next-door neighbor, his precocious ten-year-old son, and a flock of endearingly feisty town busybodies, she soon finds she has more questions than answers.

1976: Rebecca “Becks” Saint James has made a name for herself as the best hostess North Carolina has ever seen. Her annual summer suppers have become the stuff of legend, and locals and out-of-towners alike clamor for an invitation to her stunning historic home. But she’s struggling behind the façade. Becks strives to make the lives of those around her as easy as possible, but this summer she is facing a dilemma that even she can’t solve. And as the end of the season looms, she is brought to a decision she never wanted to make.

As both Keaton and Becks face new challenges and chapters, they are connected through time by the house on Sunset Lane, which has protected the secrets, hopes, and dreams of the women in their family for generations.

Two polar opposites, one cozy inn–and one sweet and surprising chance at unlikely love.

When Everleigh Hartnett, a cheerful traveling NICU nurse who can’t sit still, inherits half of her godmother’s beloved seaside bed-and-breakfast, she dreams of selling the place to fund the nonprofit she and her godmother always envisioned. But there’s one tiny her new co-owner. Rugged, grumpy, and fiercely loyal to the inn, Cade Witherspoon isn’t about to let his peaceful life–and his new start–be sold off so easily.

Everleigh and Cade are opposites in every way. She’s sunshine and laughter, while he’s all rough edges and quiet brooding. Their clash of wills over the inn soon has them wondering what on earth Everleigh’s godmother was thinking when she left them both in charge.

As Everleigh gets to know Cade’s softer side–and Cade finds himself drawn to Everleigh’s optimism and kindness–their disagreement over the inn becomes something sweeter. But with the arrival of Cade’s long-lost brother and the looming threat of a developer sniffing around the property, they’ll have to make some hard choices–together.

Can Everleigh and Cade let go of their expectations and build something lasting together? Or will the Sunshine Inn be the place they both leave behind?

Ruined by scandal, Georgiana bargains with a duke to regain her place in Society. But their pretend friendship sparks real love, risking reputations, duty, and unexpected happily-ever-afters.

Eight months after a stolen kiss ruined her reputation, Miss Georgiana Wood is a recluse, cast out of Society without any hope of ever finding a suitable match. Longing for redemption, she never expects her salvation to arrive in the form of a handsome, temperamental duke.

After a failed bargain left the Duke of Marlow without a promised wife and heir, he must face courtship a final time. He plans to entice his future bride with a priceless family heirloom—one now in the possession of Miss Wood, who agrees to return it if he takes her on three outings in London during the Season to restore her reputation.

As the pair navigate Society’s expectations and whispered gossip, Marlow begins to see Georgiana as an ally and a friend. Her wit and courage, grace and allure far exceeded that of the eligible ladies he intended to court, and soon, he’d do almost anything to secure her happiness.

As Marlow wrestles with duty and desire, Georgiana begins to hope that she could be loved for who she truly is. When hearts are tested, truth and secrets revealed, will love be enough to risk it all?

She wants to uncover the past. He wishes to build a future. In this Regency romance set in the rolling hills of West Sussex, two opposing wills discover their fate may lie in the common ground.

Miss Bridget Littleton’s passion for history and antiquities defies most social conventions, even in her small village nestled in the beautiful English countryside. When a local farmer discovers an elaborate mosaic buried in his field, Bridget dreams of making a name and future for herself by excavating the Roman ruins. Unfortunately, her quest puts her at odds with the ambitious new lord who recently inherited the title and Hawthorn Abbey from his estranged uncle.

Recovering from wounds of both body and spirit, Captain Rafe Hawthorn is intent on restoring his long-neglected ancestral home. His plans to rebuild the abbey’s once thriving orchards require a road that will pass straight through Bridget’s potential trove of artifacts. He will not—cannot—fail again, even if he is moved by Bridget and her passion.

Yet this impasse might not be their greatest obstacle. A natural disaster and a series of suspicious accidents threaten both their plans, along with the livelihood of the nearby villagers dependent on their success. With their dreams in the balance, Bridget and Rafe must work together to fend off an unexpected enemy that may prove more dangerous than either could have imagined.

My only remaining marriage prospects were the head gardener, the vicar, and the steward. But how could I marry any of them when I was in love . . . with Lord Brookhaven?

Charlotte Robbins accepts a governess position for the Earl of Brookhaven’s siblings despite rumors of the earl’s severe and mysterious demeanor. As a lowly governess, Charlotte entertains thoughts of possible romance with an eligible servant until she does fall unexpectedly in love–with the pensive earl himself.

But love does not mean a match is possible, and the earl’s friends warn Charlotte that if he were to fall for her, it would ruin him. Just as Charlotte resigns herself to the impossibility of her feelings, she receives news that she has inherited a fortune from a long-lost relative. Now thrust into London high society, Charlotte grapples with suitors vying for her attention, but her heart still belongs to the Earl of Brookhaven. As secrets unfold, she’s no longer certain if her newfound fortune is a blessing–or if it is the very thing that threatens the love she’s always longed for.

A young widow learns that nothing is as it once her late husband loved her, mysterious enemies want her dead, and the childhood sweetheart she thought abandoned her has crossed an ocean to save her.

Lady Phoebe Smalling has spent two years in enforced isolation, believing her late husband cared nothing for her happiness.

But at the death of her husband, when she escapes to the sanctuary of Lavender Cottage in Somerset, she discovers that everything she thought she knew about her marriage was a lie.

Robert didn’t abandon her—he died protecting her. And the inheritance he left behind is far more dangerous than she ever imagined.

Now enemies are closing in, desperate to claim the secrets they believe she possesses. With the help of the remarkable Widows of Somerset—a secret society of independent women with skills far beyond embroidery and tea—Phoebe must navigate a deadly game of deception while uncovering the truth about her husband’s mysterious past.

But her greatest challenge may be learning to trust again, especially when her childhood love Archie Lytton arrives offering protection, devotion, and everything she’s afraid to want.

Some treasures are worth dying for. But Phoebe is about to discover that the greatest treasure of all might be worth living for.

Welcome to Evergreen Academy, the secret college for Magical Botanists.

I’d always sensed something peculiar about the reclusive Evergreen Academy, tucked deep in the woods of my hometown. But I never could have imagined it was a college for magical botanists–and that I am one of them.

An invitation to the academy opens up a whole new world of wonder, yet my plant affinity powers remain elusive, and my scientific training is far behind that of my peers.

When I’m assigned a tutor, Callan Rhodes, a powerful descendant of the academy’s founders, I’m baffled by his willingness to help me.

Despite my challenges, I’m enchanted by the academy’s glass schoolhouse, its grounds, which are overflowing with plants that defy the climate, and the quirky festivals held each equinox and solstice.

But disaster looms as the verdant shield that protects the academy from the prying eyes of nonmagical people begins to falter. Can Callan and the other founders’ descendants sustain the magic on their own, or will the clock finally start to tick on figuring out my powers?

She has one month to win the prince’s heart—or vanish into seafoam. Falling for the wrong prince was never part of the plan.

Princess Aulani was born under the sea, but the world above calls to her. When she rescues a drowning prince, she risks everything for forbidden legs in place of fins, and a single chance to earn his love before the spell breaks.

But she surfaces in the wrong kingdom… and the only creature who understands her? A talking frog with problems of his own.

Prince Ezra never wanted the crown—or the curse that turned him into a coquí frog. With his kingdom crumbling and his throne stolen, he has no choice but to rely on the mermaid who, quite literally, splashed into his world.

As tides shift and hearts entangle, Aulani and Ezra discover that love isn’t just the strongest magic… It’s the one thing that might save them both.

Set in a lush island kingdom inspired by the Hawaiian islands, Transformed Tail is a sparkling mashup of The Little Mermaid and The Frog Prince. This enchanting clean romance features grumpy/sunshine banter, forbidden love, he-falls-first swoon, and a sea of heart-tugging moments sure to sweep you away. Perfect for fans of magical transformations, second chances, and fairy tales with tropical flair.

Just when Azalea should feel that everything is before her—beautiful gowns, dashing suitors, balls filled with dancing—it’s taken away. All of it. And Azalea is trapped. The Keeper understands. He’s trapped, too, held for centuries within the walls of the palace. So he extends an invitation.

Every night, Azalea and her eleven sisters may step through the enchanted passage in their room to dance in his silver forest, but there is a cost. The Keeper likes to keep things. Azalea may not realize how tangled she is in his web until it is too late.

Ariella was only looking for a distraction, something to break up the monotony of palace life. What she found was a young man willing to overlook her title and show her a new and vibrant way of life. But when her growing feelings for Gavin spiral out of control and clash with the expectations of her station, she will discover that the consequences of her curiosity are far more severe than she’d imagined.

“I watched in helpless horror as two guards hauled Gavin to his feet and dragged him from the room. My voice was frozen, unable to protest as another guard took hold of my arm, leading me upstairs. From the confines of my room, I stared into the darkness beyond my window, hoping to catch one more glimpse of Gavin. He was gone, and I wondered if he would have been better off if he had never met me.”