It’s peak summer, and the best romance books of July 2025 are heating things up even more! Some of our favorite authors are returning with brand-new titles this month, and we can’t wait. Plus, we’re keeping an eye on some newer authors and the love stories they’re bringing to the page. It really is something for everyone!
Whether you’re lounging by the pool, at the beach, or in the A/C, the best romance books of July 2025 are your perfect summer companions! Here’s what we’ll be reading all month long.
Crash Test by Amy James
Release date: July 1
Read it if: You wish Red, White & Royal Blue had more adrenaline. Two F1 drivers’ secret relationship takes a turn when one has a life-threatening crash.
Publisher’s synopsis: Twenty-four-year-old Formula 1 driver Travis Keeping is halfway through an incredible racing season, with the championship well within his sights. But when a massive crash in Formula 2 leaves driver Jacob Nichols in critical condition, Travis’s world is flipped upside down. No one knows, but he and Jacob have been dating for almost a year.
Now the only boy he’s ever loved is clinging to life, his F1 team can’t understand why his performance is faltering. And he’s locked in a cold war with Jacob’s parents, who want him as far away from their son as humanly possible. Travis is sure everything will get better when Jacob wakes up, but he soon realizes he’s underestimated Jacob’s parents’ influence on their son.
As the F1 season barrels on, Travis and Jacob find themselves alone and miserable on opposite sides of the globe. But with some new friends by their sides, both drivers will be pushed outside of their comfort zones and onto a journey of self-discovery—one that just might lead them back to each other in the end.
Get it on Amazon or support your local bookstores through Bookshop.org.
How Freaking Romantic by Emily Harding
Release date: July 1
Read it if: You’d like one of the best romance books of July 2025 to have Legally Blonde meets 27 Dresses energy. A law student begrudgingly works alongside the lawyer in her BFF’s divorce case.
Publisher’s synopsis: Beatrice Nilsson is what some might call “feisty” (those who love her) and others “combative” (those who don’t). But no matter what you call her, she’s a good lawyer and an even better friend. So when the marriage of her two closest pals ends in divorce, Bea picks a side and storms the office of attorney Nathan Asher to tell him exactly what he can do with his alimony petition. Unfortunately, what should end with a few choice words soon spirals into uncharted territory when Nate shows up at her NYU Law office a few days later as a newly-minted adjunct professor—and her new colleague.
Bea still hates Nathan, of course. But between weekly meetings and networking events, walks around Washington Square Park and late-night pizza, that hate begins to feel a lot like something else. And as uncomfortable truths emerge about the divorce that started it all, she might have to choose between her friends’ happily ever after and her own for the very first time.
Get it on Amazon or support your local bookstores through Bookshop.org.
This Much Is True by Vivienne Lorret
Release date: July 1
Read it if: You love secret identities and all the romantic tension that results. A writer’s tales of a roguish highwayman hit too close to home for a viscount with a double life.
Publisher’s synopsis: Althea Hartley has lost her spark. As the youngest daughter of an eccentric family, playwrighting is in her blood. But two failed Seasons have left her disenchanted. In desperate need of inspiration, she takes matters into her own hands by creating a tale of a dashing highwayman. What could possibly go wrong?
But her stories prove to be a little too true for the actual highwayman living beneath the tons’ nose.
Jasper Trueblood, Viscount St. James, needs to put an end to the bewitching Miss Hartley’s incriminating tales. Society can never suspect that he isn’t the clumsy oaf he pretends to be. Or that, under the cover of darkness, he greets scoundrels and lightens their purses. Not too much. Just enough to keep those closest to him safe from his menacing uncle.
Then sparks fly when this unlikely pair meets one perfect night. And while she is eager to unmask him, he is determined to stay hidden. But there’s no denying the chemistry that neither of them are able to resist…
The only thing for certain is that Thea needs to guard her heart before the highwayman steals it.
Get it on Amazon or support your local bookstores through Bookshop.org.
Let’s Make a Scene by Laura Wood
Release date: July 1
Read it if: Fake dating plus celeb romance is your idea of the best romance books of July 2025. Years after their PR romance, a pair of actors must reunite (on and off-screen) for a sequel.
Publisher’s synopsis: When Cynthie Taylor gets her first real acting job, starring in a small British movie, she is over the moon. There is only one problem…Cynthie’s arrogant and annoyingly handsome costar Jack hates her, and the feeling is definitely mutual. While they may be at war behind the scenes, their on-screen chemistry is palpable. The studio sees an opportunity—have the two young stars fake a romance that will charm fans and draw crowds.
Thirteen years later, Cynthie and Jack have successfully kept their promise to stay far away from one another, until a surprising offer comes to make a sequel to the cult classic that launched their careers. But there’s a catch: they must also rekindle their pretend relationship. And this time there’s a documentary crew following their every move.
Cynthie and Jack both desperately need this film to work, but can two ex-rivals ever really trust each other? And what happens when the roles they’re playing start to feel all too real?
Get it on Amazon or support your local bookstores through Bookshop.org.
The Spirit of Love by Lauren Kate
Release date: July 1
Read it if: You want a little magical realism in the best romance books of July 2025. On the brink of her big break, a woman falls for the same man at two different points in time.
Publisher’s synopsis: Two loves. One soul. One choice.
Fenny’s got that boss glow. Not only did she just have the best sex of her life, but she’s finally about to direct the TV show she’s been a screenwriter on for ten years. Only one thing could floor her—finding out she’s been replaced by a hotshot director named Jude. Wait, no. Two things. Jude looks exactly like the guy who just turned her bones to jelly. Same dimples, same eyes, but he looks older and has a sadness Fenny wants to fix.
Last weekend, Fenny met Sam when he movie-style rescued her from a storm on Catalina Island. Here he is again, just … different. Can Sam and Jude be the same man? And if they are, will Fenny’s love be enough to put him back together?
Get it on Amazon or support your local bookstores through Bookshop.org.
Where You’re Planted by Melanie Sweeney
Release date: July 8
Read it if: You’re happiest among plants, books, or both. After a hurricane, a librarian temporarily shares working space with a grumpy gardener.
Publisher’s synopsis: Single mom Tansy Perkins only has room in her life for her daughter and her library. And maybe the next book to add to her collection. But after a catastrophic hurricane severely damages her library, she’s forced to temporarily move her branch into the adjacent county botanic gardens, where Jack Reid—the world’s grouchiest gardener who rescued her and her daughter from the flood—happens to be the assistant director.
Jack has always preferred plants over people, having built a strong track record of avoiding relationships ever since his divorce six years ago. So, Tansy and her quirky band of bookish colleagues’ encroachment into his carefully-kept territory is a little more than irksome, especially when it means sharing his already-scarce resources.
When Jack and Tansy are tasked with working together on the spring festival, they have no choice but to call a truce. And soon their newfound professional partnership gives way to a deep intimacy that they’ve both been silently craving. But Tansy has lost too much to risk her heart, and Jack has sworn off real love. When an opportunity arises for funding that both the library and gardens need, will their loyalties lie with the futures they’d always planned for? Or the new spark they’ve found with each other?
Get it on Amazon or support your local bookstores through Bookshop.org.
Relationship Goals by Brittany Kelley
Release date: July 8
Read it if: You want the best romance books of July 2025 to scratch that Ted Lasso itch. A fake relationship-gone-wrong leads to a game of romantic revenge (with surprising results).
Publisher’s synopsis: Abigail Hunt’s Hollywood dreams could best be described as slow burn. But she’s about to graduate from TV sidekick to dramatic actor. When the esteemed director of her breakout role suggests a deep dive for her part by shadowing the head of a struggling pro soccer team, she jumps at the chance to prove she’s ready.
Getting asked out by notorious grump and gorgeous star player Luke Wolfe wasn’t in the plan. But suddenly her research is getting a lot more…hands-on. Their relationship quickly sets social media on fire, and Luke seems determined to prove he’s more than his villainous reputation. But just when Abigail is happier than ever—her name in lights and her heart in good hands—the other cleat drops. Luke’s been coerced into faking their relationship to improve the team’s ticket sales.
Furious, Abigail refuses to give Luke the satisfaction of dumping him—she decides to get even. Over-the-top dates, treating his games like fashion shows, and befriending the fan club he hates? Count her in. It’s only a matter of time until she pushes the right buttons.
She just didn’t expect him to keep putting up with it—or to say I love you.
Get it on Amazon or support your local bookstores through Bookshop.org.
A Witch’s Guide to Magical Innkeeping by Sangu Mandanna
Release date: July 15
Read it if: Your idea of the best romance books of July 2025 includes cozy magic and grumpy/grumpy dynamics. A chilly warlock helps an exiled witch with a spell at an enchanted inn.
Publisher’s synopsis: Sera Swan used to be one of the most powerful witches in Britain. Then she resurrected her great-aunt Jasmine from the (very recently) dead, lost most of her magic, befriended a semi-villainous talking fox, and was exiled from her Guild. Now she (slightly reluctantly and just a bit grumpily) helps Jasmine run an enchanted inn in Lancashire, where she deals with her quirky guests’ shenanigans, tries to keep said talking fox in check, and longs for the future that seems lost to her. But then she finds out about an old spell that could hold the key to restoring her power…
Enter Luke Larsen, handsome and icy magical historian, who arrives on a dark winter evening and just might know how to unlock the spell’s secrets. Luke has absolutely no interest in getting involved in the madcap goings-on of the inn. He’s definitely not about to let a certain bewitching innkeeper past his walls, so no one is more surprised than he is when he agrees to help Sera with her spell. Worse, he might actually be thawing.
Running an inn, reclaiming lost magic, and staying one step ahead of the watchful Guild is a lot for anyone. But Sera Swan is about to discover that she doesn’t have to do it alone…and that the weird, wonderful family she’s made might be the best magic of all.
Get it on Amazon or support your local bookstores through Bookshop.org.
Roll for Romance by Lenora Woods
Release date: July 15
Read it if: You love romance with charmingly geeky vibes. A pair of D&D players fall for each other in-game and maybe in the real world, too.
Publisher’s synopsis: When Sadie Brooks unexpectedly loses her marketing job, she flees New York City to spend the summer with her best friend in small-town Texas. Joining his Dungeons & Dragons campaign is the perfect distraction while she plans her next steps.
In the game, she becomes Jaylie, a powerful human cleric blessed by the Goddess of Luck. But in real life, Sadie believes her luck has run out. Until she meets Noah Walker, the outgoing bartender roped into joining their party as Loren, an adventurous and charismatic lute-strumming elf. Just as Jaylie finds herself succumbing to the bard’s charms over the course of their party’s travels, Sadie also begins to fall under Noah’s spell.
As their relationship progresses in both worlds, Sadie wonders if what they have might last beyond the game. But like his traveling bard character, Noah never stays in one place for long. When a new opportunity arises in New York, Sadie must face the truth about why she lost her job in the first place—and whether she and Noah have found something in Texas worth staying for. Torn between her career dreams in the city and the exciting uncertainty of a new adventure, she will have no choice but to roll the dice.
Get it on Amazon or support your local bookstores through Bookshop.org.
Taste the Love by Karelia & Fay Stez-Waters
Release date: July 15
Read it if: You want some foodie sapphic romance in the best romance books of July 2025. Former culinary-school rivals team up to save a community greenspace.
Publisher’s synopsis: Six years ago, eco-chef Alice Sullivan and her culinary-school rival almost gave into the burning tension between them. But those kisses? Just the heat of competition boiling over. Sullivan never expected to see Kia after graduation . . . until Kia crashes back into her life with a plan to buy Sullivan’s beloved Portland greenspace.
Kia has worked hard building her social media empire as the big-hearted glitter-bomb queen of the food-truck scene. Now she’s one step away from opening a foodie utopia for underrepresented culinary talents. But Kia’s plans catch the attention of a bulldozer-happy food conglomerate. Now, both Kia and Sullivan’s dreams are on the line. When a legal loophole turns out to be the only way to save what they each love most, they’re left with one option. Pull off a very public fake marriage to obtain the deed to the land and keep their old rivalry under control.
As the line between fake and real love blurs, can Kia and Sullivan set aside their differences and find the perfect recipe for happily ever after?
Get it on Amazon or support your local bookstores through Bookshop.org.
Pugs and Kisses by Farrah Rochon
Release date: July 15
Read it if: You love second-chance romances as much as you love dogs. Two veterinarians with a complicated past must work together to save the local animal shelter.
Publisher’s synopsis: From the outside, veterinarian Evie Williams appears to have the perfect but boring life. She is desperate to figure out a way to shake it up. But she gets more than she bargained for when she finds her fiancé in bed with another woman. Suddenly, Evie is without a fiancé or a job, and isn’t sure what her next steps should be. That is, until her college crush, Bryson Mitchell, returns to town.
Now, a nationally recognized veterinary surgeon, Bryson is stunned when he encounters Evie Williams for the first time in half a decade. When they learn the animal shelter where they used to volunteer is in danger of closing, the two must work together to save it. It has Bryson wondering, can he and Evie also save the friendship they once shared and finally bring it to the next level?
Get it on Amazon or support your local bookstores through Bookshop.org.
Only Lovers in the Building by Nadine Gonzalez
Release date: July 15
Read it if: You’re counting down to the new season of Only Murders in the Building (but wish it had more romance). An ex-lawyer and a professor on sabbatical surprise even themselves by starting a relationship podcast.
Publisher’s synopsis: After her legal career comes to a sudden and humiliating end, Liliane Lyon books a restorative summer rental at The Icon, a quintessential Art Deco building in Miami Beach. Her only plan is to bask in the sun, read, and sip cocktails. But soon she’s enchanted by the colorful community, including university professor Benedicto Romero—resident tortured poet, whose sole intention for sabbatical is to indulge in brooding introspection.
When they discover a shared passion for romance novels, Lily and Ben are soon spending hours reading together by the pool, the spark between them unwittingly giving the other residents the impression that they’re experts in matters of the heart. No matter that IRL their disastrous love lives bear little resemblance to the stories they’re reading.
But while Ben and Lily can pinpoint a trope a mile away and give excellent advice to others, they can’t make sense of the sizzling chemistry between them. And the suggestion of a professional podcast suddenly forces them to consider the long-term. So what if it means working even closer together! So what if their banter makes Lily’s head spin! It’s the summer of taking chances, but a word to the wise: Miami isn’t the place for growth and rebirth. It’s the place to get messy.
Get it on Amazon or support your local bookstores through Bookshop.org.
Love Is a War Song by Danica Nava
Release date: July 22
Read it if: You’re excited for celebrity-meets-cowboy romance from the best romance books of July 2025. A singer hides out on her grandma’s ranch and forges an unexpected alliance to save it.
Publisher’s synopsis: Pop singer Avery Fox has become a national joke after posing scantily-clad on the cover of Rolling Stone in a feather warbonnet. What was meant to be a statement of her success as a Native American singer has turned her into a social pariah and dubbed her a fake. With threats coming from every direction and her career at a standstill, she escapes to her estranged grandmother Lottie’s ranch in Oklahoma. Living on the rez is new to Avery. Not only does she have to work in the blazing summer heat to earn her keep, but the man who runs Lottie’s horse ranch despises her and wants her gone.
Red Fox Ranch has been home to Lucas Iron Eyes since he was sixteen years old. He has lived by three rules to keep himself out of trouble. 1) Preserve the culture. 2) Respect the horses. And 3) stick to himself. When he is tasked with picking up Lottie’s granddaughter at the bus station, the last person he expected to see is the Avery Fox. Lucas can’t stand what she represents, but when he’s forced to work with her on the ranch, he can’t get her out of his sight—or his head. He reminds himself to keep to his rules, especially after he finds out the ranch is under threat of being shut down.
It’s clear Avery doesn’t belong here, but they form a tentative truce and make a deal. Avery will help raise funds to save the ranch. In exchange, Lucas will show her what it really means to be an Indian. It’s purely transactional, absolutely no horsing around…but where’s the fun in that?
Get it on Amazon or support your local bookstores through Bookshop.org.
Road Trip with a Rogue by Kate Bateman
Release date: July 29
Read it if: You’re so here for Regency-era road trip shenanigans. A female PI must work with the duke who broke her heart as they chase a runaway heiress.
Publisher’s synopsis: A midnight mishap.
Daisy Hamilton’s new mission for King & Co., London’s premier private investigation firm, is simple: stop heiress Violetta Brand from eloping. But her case is derailed when she mistakenly holds up the carriage of Lucien Vaughan, Duke of Cranford―cynical war hero, infamous libertine, and the very man who broke her heart five years ago.
A reluctant road trip.
Lucien’s determined to see his lovestruck nephew married to Miss Brand, but the unexpected appearance of Daisy― the one woman he’s never been able to forget―could ruin his plans. As they follow the runaway couple together, Lucien decides that delaying the headstrong Daisy by any means possible―including seduction―will be his absolute pleasure . . . and hers.
A dangerous desire.
After Daisy’s reputation is threatened, Lucien makes a scandalous claim. But when an unexpected enemy threatens her life, he realizes she’s the only woman for him. Their past encounters have made Daisy almost as jaded about love as Lucien himself, and it’s going to take action, not words, to convince this knife-wielding hellion to risk her heart on him again…
Get it on Amazon or support your local bookstores through Bookshop.org.
Bad Luck Bride by Laura Lee Guhrke
Release date: July 29
Read it if: You’d like some Victorian scandal in your best romance books of July 2025. A thrice-engaged spinster almost makes it down the aisle, until an old flame shows up again.
Publisher’s synopsis: Third time’s a charm? For Lady Kay Matheson, it had better be. Her first engagement was a failed elopement; the second ruined by gossip about the first. Resigned to be a disgraced spinster, no one is more surprised than Kay when an American millionaire offers for her hand. Just when she’s convinced she will finally make it down the aisle, the scoundrel who broke her heart arrives with his own fiancée.
Devlin Sharpe has finally become a success. He has wealth, connections, and a lovely bride-to-be—and he won’t let an old flame derail all his hard work. But it turns out time has not dampened his grudge toward Kay—or the desire sparking between them. And one searing kiss threatens to ruin their wedding plans and their futures, and make Kay the bad-luck bride all over again.
Get it on Amazon or support your local bookstores through Bookshop.org.
