Here are 17 books that It Happened One Summer fans have personally recommended once you finish the It Happened One Summer series.
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I grew up watching soap operas and swapping novels with my grandma and mom. Romantic stories have been a part of who I am ever since I was old enough to get my hands on Nora Roberts! Now, thanks to my love for the books that inspire love, I’m a romance novelist myself, having penned the Trading Heartbeats trilogy. Each novel is a recipient of a first place BookFest award and has been traditionally published by Inkspell Publishing. I write with raw emotion and work to really shatter hearts of readers—only to repair them on the final pages. I have dual master’s degrees in organizational communication and English studies from Illinois State University.
I’m a sucker for Paris. Having studied abroad in the city of love, I’m drawn to the romance behind the Parisian way of life.
So, when I picked up a copy of Blame It on Paris, I knew from page one that I’d be a fan of main character Laura and her carefree travels abroad. Enter Sebastien – and the story deepens beyond a romantic fling. I couldn’t put this story down and have returned for many rereads since I first bought the book on a whim in a Paris bookshop in 2007!
Can an insecure American woman find happiness with a sexy Parisian waiter--- even if she doesn't like the French?
Laura has spent most of her adult life avoiding serious relationships, flitting around the world, and keeping her romantic expectations comfortably low. The last thing she wants is to have her globe-trotting ways curtailed by a messy emotional entanglement. As far as she's concerned, chocolate is just as satisfying as true love--and a lot less complicated. So how, in the name of all that is romantic, has she managed to get involved with a dangerously charming Frenchman named Sébastien? And only…
I grew up watching soap operas and swapping novels with my grandma and mom. Romantic stories have been a part of who I am ever since I was old enough to get my hands on Nora Roberts! Now, thanks to my love for the books that inspire love, I’m a romance novelist myself, having penned the Trading Heartbeats trilogy. Each novel is a recipient of a first place BookFest award and has been traditionally published by Inkspell Publishing. I write with raw emotion and work to really shatter hearts of readers—only to repair them on the final pages. I have dual master’s degrees in organizational communication and English studies from Illinois State University.
I was a huge fan of 99 Days by Katie Cotugno, so I knew I had to pick up this sequel.
Main character Molly is flawed, to the point where I wanted to throw the book across the room. But there’s no denying her pull toward the forbidden love interest, Gabe. What I admired most about this story is how author Katie Cotugno brought a series of unlikely events into the realm of plausibility.
If you’re into forbidden love, romance abroad, and a story you can’t put down, grab this one now!
In this sequel to the New York Times bestseller 99 Days, perfect for fans of Jenny Han and Morgan Matson, Molly Barlow finds herself in Europe on her summer vacation, desperately trying to forget everything that happened a year ago. But over the course of nine days and nine nights, her whole life will be turned upside down once more. . . .
Molly Barlow isn’t that girl anymore. A business major at her college in Boston, she’s reinvented herself after everything that went down a year ago… After all the people she hurt and the family she tore apart.…
I grew up watching soap operas and swapping novels with my grandma and mom. Romantic stories have been a part of who I am ever since I was old enough to get my hands on Nora Roberts! Now, thanks to my love for the books that inspire love, I’m a romance novelist myself, having penned the Trading Heartbeats trilogy. Each novel is a recipient of a first place BookFest award and has been traditionally published by Inkspell Publishing. I write with raw emotion and work to really shatter hearts of readers—only to repair them on the final pages. I have dual master’s degrees in organizational communication and English studies from Illinois State University.
I’m usually one for a light and easy romance, but The Art of Murder really had me second-guessing my preferences!
Fast-paced, heart-stopping, and fabulous, Claire Ripley gives you everything you want in a romantic suspense novel. The author knows how to artfully weave together external conflict with a roller coaster of emotions. The characters are well-written, and the plot really kept me turning pages.
This is a quick, fun read that’ll leave you guessing and cheering for a (spoiler alert!) happily-ever-after.
From a small town in Alabama to Charleston, South Carolina, witnessing a murder is not part of the plan.
Emma is relieved to have left her small town behind and make a fresh start in Charleston to make her living as an artist. What she doesn’t expect is witnessing a murder puts her life in danger and the alluring FBI agent demanding answers from her.
As Emma and Connor are thrust together more and more, she discovers everything is not as it seems.
Although Emma is determined to keep working, she can’t ignore the danger that lurks in the city…
I grew up watching soap operas and swapping novels with my grandma and mom. Romantic stories have been a part of who I am ever since I was old enough to get my hands on Nora Roberts! Now, thanks to my love for the books that inspire love, I’m a romance novelist myself, having penned the Trading Heartbeats trilogy. Each novel is a recipient of a first place BookFest award and has been traditionally published by Inkspell Publishing. I write with raw emotion and work to really shatter hearts of readers—only to repair them on the final pages. I have dual master’s degrees in organizational communication and English studies from Illinois State University.
From the first page, Olivia and Colin had me in a fit of giggles, fully enamored with their witty banter and incredible push-pull chemistry. If you’re looking for a light-hearted read with a relatable, sloppy heroine and a powerful, smitten hero, you need Lynn Painter’s Mr. Wrong Number in your hands.
It’s a swoon-worthy romance that promises all the feels!
Things get textual when a steamy message from a random wrong number turns into an anonymous relationship in this hilarious rom-com by Lynn Painter.
Bad luck has always followed Olivia Marshall...or maybe she's just the screw-up her family thinks she is. But when a "What are you wearing?" text from a random wrong number turns into the hottest, most entertaining—albeit anonymous—relationship of her life, she thinks things might be on the upswing....
Colin Beck has always considered Olivia his best friend's annoying little sister, but when she moves in with them after one of her worst runs of luck, he…
I was a romance reader long before becoming an author. 89 published books later, including 2 New York Times and 9 USA Today bestsellers, I feel justified in claiming some knowledge on the subject. I believe you must be a book lover, an avid reader, to be a successful writer.That said, everyone has diverse tastes, and I think taste and what a person needs in a book, changes with time and circumstances. Luckily there have never been more books available. You just have to find them. Whether you read my recommendations and said, “Yes!” or “Hell, no!”, I hope you're one step closer to your next best read.
This is the book, and the fictional small town, that first inspired me to write my own small town Rom Com series and I have never looked back.
A hot firefighter who has a comically ill-behaved racoon as his pet, the small town of Happy Cat centered around the town’s sex-toy factory, and a heroine confounded by both the factory and the town as she struggles to save them both—with the help of the hot fireman, of course. Laugh-out-loud moments, steamy moments, tender moments, and more dildos than any book should contain—Hosed is what a feel-good romance should be.
The world’s sexiest firefighter is about to get a second chance with the virgin next door…
He’s bossy, arrogant, and so ridiculously hot he should come with a warning label and a pair of flame retardant coveralls.
He’s also the boy who broke my heart when we were in high school.
I want to move in next door to Ryan O’Dell the way I want to be the virgin gamer geek suddenly in charge of running my sister’s sex toy factory. Too bad both are written in my stars.
Yeah, I’m the world’s oldest virgin code-writing nerd.
I was a romance reader long before becoming an author. 89 published books later, including 2 New York Times and 9 USA Today bestsellers, I feel justified in claiming some knowledge on the subject. I believe you must be a book lover, an avid reader, to be a successful writer.That said, everyone has diverse tastes, and I think taste and what a person needs in a book, changes with time and circumstances. Luckily there have never been more books available. You just have to find them. Whether you read my recommendations and said, “Yes!” or “Hell, no!”, I hope you're one step closer to your next best read.
The hero, who is a really big ‘dill’ (see what I did there? LOL) is the heir to a deli dynasty famous for their pickles. The heroine is an overworked deli manager tested by her new employee (who she doesn’t realize is actually the big boss undercover). It’s a comedy of errors punctuated by steamy moments. Don’t think too hard about it. Big Pickle is a pure escapist romp.
I was a romance reader long before becoming an author. 89 published books later, including 2 New York Times and 9 USA Today bestsellers, I feel justified in claiming some knowledge on the subject. I believe you must be a book lover, an avid reader, to be a successful writer.That said, everyone has diverse tastes, and I think taste and what a person needs in a book, changes with time and circumstances. Luckily there have never been more books available. You just have to find them. Whether you read my recommendations and said, “Yes!” or “Hell, no!”, I hope you're one step closer to your next best read.
Did you ever read a book so immersive that you were sad when it was over because it felt as if you were saying goodbye forever to your new best friends? That’s how I felt at the final page of Maggie Moves On.
With a reluctant down-on-love heroine and a hot hero who falls hard and fast and refuses to give up on her, the romance was both steamy and swoon-worthy. Add in the laugh-out-loud moments with a comical but ill-trained dog, an old house under renovation and full of secrets, a small town, and a large cast of characters and this book hit all my hot buttons.
Can these opposites turn up the heat… without burning down the house?
House-flipping sensation and YouTube star Maggie Nichols can’t wait to dig into her next challenge. Arriving in tiny Kinship, Idaho, with only a cot and a coffeemaker, Maggie is prepared to restore a crumbling Victorian mansion in four months or less. She has her to-do lists, her blueprints, and her team. What she doesn’t have is time for sexy, laid-back landscaper Silas Wright.
The man takes flirtation to a whole new level. And he does it shirtless…sometimes pants-less. He and his service school-dropout dog are impressively persistent. But…
Too many women experience trauma and a lot of these rely on fiction as a means of escape. The more realistic, flawed, diverse characters we have in books, the more real women feel heard and accepted. Life after trauma can be bumpy and unpredictable, especially when it comes to romance and relationships. Allowing readers to explore this in a safe space is not only great storytelling, but meaningful.
This fun story not only showcases a strong female lead navigating grief, but a smart, driven one.
Ali herself is a neuroscientist and her books often feature women in STEM. In this case, Olive (our fmc) is working towards her PHD. Olive’s mum died of pancreatic cancer and the development of this storyline and how it ties into the plot is beautiful and poignant.
The story follows a fake dating trope as Olive becomes involved with her professor, giving you all the ingredients for a feet-kicking romance, with the character depth all whilst in a fascinating setting.
The Instant New York Times Bestseller and TikTok Sensation!
As seen on THE VIEW!
A BuzzFeed Best Summer Read of 2021
When a fake relationship between scientists meets the irresistible force of attraction, it throws one woman's carefully calculated theories on love into chaos.
As a third-year Ph.D. candidate, Olive Smith doesn't believe in lasting romantic relationships--but her best friend does, and that's what got her into this situation. Convincing Anh that Olive is dating and well on her way to a happily ever after was always going to take more than hand-wavy Jedi mind tricks: Scientists require proof. So,…
I’m drawn to stories about human nature and the many lifestyles people choose to live. My mother often tells me I’m like my great aunt Freda, who has a love for beautiful and fantastic things. Freda was famous in my mind, and I believe I was further drawn to reading about fame because I wanted to know what that world looked like. Is too much money stressful? Are social events unwanted obligations? Are famous marriages bound to fail? This list is a glimpse into the lifestyles of the rich and famous and both the curses and blessings of their daily lives.
This entire series has me hooked. Jennifer Lynn Barnes is a master when it comes to creating mystery and puzzles, of which I both love. Kylie is an ordinary schoolgirl who becomes famous overnight, and it’s thrilling to be a part of her world. She encounters a bit of everything.
Romance, money, power, fame, danger, and crazy adrenaline racing fun. I love fast-paced stories that consistently throw new puzzles my way. I can’t say enough great things about this story. I'm hooked from the start and want more after it’s ended.
1.5 MILLION COPIES SOLD OF THE #1 BESTSELLING SERIES!
Don't miss this New York Times bestselling "impossible to put down" (Buzzfeed) novel with deadly stakes, thrilling twists, and juicy secrets -- perfect for fans of One of Us is Lying and Knives Out.
Avery Grambs has a plan for a better future: survive high school, win a scholarship, and get out. But her fortunes change in an instant when billionaire Tobias Hawthorne dies and leaves Avery virtually his entire fortune. The catch? Avery has no idea why -- or even who Tobias Hawthorne is.
I am, first and foremost, an avid reader. And romance, especially romantic comedy, is my go-to choice. And if that romantic comedy has a fake-dating theme…YAY! It was only natural that I write that theme. I believe that life throws you love at the most unexpected times and unexpected places. I love writing character-driven stories, and what better way to have them show off their true selves than by pretending to be in a relationship with a stranger?
I loved that this book’s inciting incident is the toppling of a many-tiered wedding cake of a British royal couple. The cause? The immature tussling of a prince and the U.S. president’s son? (Adults, mind you. They’re adults)
And because of that, they have to pretend to be friends, pals, buddies.
And as with most fake-relationship-themed books, the fake friendship soon turns into real love. Even though both Alex and Henry are outrageously advantaged individuals, I saw them as people—people in love—and not as a representation of their class.
Perhaps the thing I love most about McQuiston’s writing is the idealism and hopefulness she brings to the story. The obstacles Alex and Henry must overcome are literally international and yet, she can boil their love down to the simplest of gestures—and make it seem realistic.
* Instant NEW YORK TIMES and USA TODAY bestseller * * GOODREADS CHOICE AWARD WINNER for BEST DEBUT and BEST ROMANCE of 2019 * * BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR* for VOGUE, NPR, VANITY FAIR, and more! *
What happens when America's First Son falls in love with the Prince of Wales?
When his mother became President, Alex Claremont-Diaz was promptly cast as the American equivalent of a young royal. Handsome, charismatic, genius--his image is pure millennial-marketing gold for the White House. There's only one problem: Alex has a beef with the actual prince, Henry, across the pond. And when…
