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Margo and Caroline here. One of the best parts of our job: getting to see all of summer’s hottest books ahead of time. It feels like summer 2026 is hitting different, because so many of our auto-buy authors have new books coming out (many of which we feel are their best works yet). These are the summer reads we're most excited about, from intergenerational sagas to steamy romances and unputdownable thrillers.
Our Perfect Storm by Carley Fortune (May 5)
“Is it even summer without a Carley Fortune book? I’m currently saving Our Perfect Storm for an upcoming trip because there’s no better feeling than reading her books at the beach. This Made of Honor-esque romance follows Frankie and George, childhood best friends who have been on the rocks. When Frankie is left by her new husband during her wedding weekend, George agrees to help her pick up the pieces…by taking her ex’s place on her honeymoon in Tofino. A solid forced proximity, friends-to-lovers storyline if I’ve ever seen one.” —Margo Ghertner
Whistler by Ann Patchett (June 2)
“If you’re a dedicated Skimm Reads reader, you know my love for Ann Patchett runs deep. I had the pleasure of reading Patchett’s latest in one sitting, and I must say, I think this might be my favorite book of hers…ever. (Caroline agrees.) When Daphne notices a man following her and her husband around the Metropolitan Museum of Art one afternoon, she discovers that it’s her long-lost childhood stepfather. What unfolds is a heartaching, yet beautiful story about what happens when you mend lost connections and make emotional reckonings decades later. I’ve seen a lot of internet discourse saying this reminds people of The Correspondent, and I agree. If you loved the feel of that book, you’ll love this one.” –Margo Ghertner
Dolly All the Time by Annabel Monaghan (June 2)
“Coming in with another hot take: I think Dolly All the Time is Annabel Monaghan’s best. Think of it as Real Housewives of Rhode Island meets Pretty Woman meets The Summer I Turned Pretty. So, the perfect combination of cozy beach town, rich people, and fake dating tropes. I binged it in about two sittings, but didn’t want it to end. It follows Dolly, a single mom looking to make ends meet, who strikes up a deal with a wealthy man with deep Rhode Island roots. This book absolutely must be read by a body of water. No questions asked.” —Margo Ghertner
The Summer Girlfriend by Kristina Forest (June 9)
“I’ve been very much missing The Greene Sisters after completing Forest’s cult-favorite series last summer. The Summer Girlfriend is her latest adult release about a laid-off bookseller looking to go back to college, so she enters into a fake-dating arrangement with a wealthy entrepreneur behind a bakery empire. Romance, books, and bakeries? Nothing not to love.” —Margo Ghertner
Daughters of the Sun and Moon by Lisa See (June 9)
“Lisa See’s Lady Tan’s Circle of Women is the one book I’m constantly recommending to historical fiction loyalists and newcomers. Daughters of the Sun and Moon is equally heartwarming, yet affective. Spanning over 50 years, three Chinese women have been forced on different paths to get to the United States and are doing everything they can to survive in post-Civil War Los Angeles. Each chapter alternates perspectives, so by the end, you feel deeply connected to each of their stories and their strong friendship.” —Margo Ghertner
The Missed Connection by Tia Williams (June 9)
“To me, Tia Williams is the perfect summer writer — her style is bright, sparkling, and every sentence is a delightful surprise. I read The Missed Connection on a recent flight (I love a theme), and I was entertained the whole way through. It follows a young casting agent who strikes up a passionate connection with her seatmate while on a first-class flight to Paris…only to realize, after they part, that they never exchanged their names or information. Back home in New York, she hires a private investigator to track him down — but she happened to have had something of a fling with this hot PI in the past. This is one of Williams’ zanier entries, and I mean that as a sincere compliment.” —Caroline Goldstein
Villa Coco by Andrew Sean Greer (June 9)
“No one understands the summer reads assignment better than Andrew Sean Greer. In the vein of his Pulitzer Prize-winning Less, Villa Coco follows a directionless hero on a sun-drenched romp. This one unfolds through the Tuscan countryside, where the young archivist has been hired by a fabulous, 90-something Italian baroness to catalog her villa’s art and artifacts. It’s the ultimate reading escape, the perfect balance between charming and substantial.” —Caroline Goldstein
It Could Have Been Her by Lisa Jewell (June 23)
“On that aforementioned trip, I also read Lisa Jewell’s The Family Upstairs, which reminded me just how much I love a good, old-fashioned, tightly plotted, slightly unhinged thriller. Now that my love of the genre has been rekindled, I’m excited for Jewell’s forthcoming release. This one involves a missing teenage girl, a creepy estate in the English countryside, and a narrator with a dark and mysterious past — all the makings of my ideal Summerween read.” —Caroline Goldstein
The Shampoo Effect by Jenny Jackson (June 30)
“Whenever a trusted publishing veteran becomes an author, I’m seated. Jenny Jackson, VP and Editorial Director of Fiction at Knopf, is about to release her second book after Pineapple Street, which I devoured when it came out in 2023. Her newest is about Caroline Lash, a newcomer to a Massachusetts beach town who falls in with a tight-knit circle of friends. When one member of the group unexpectedly gets pregnant, their typical dynamic is thrown, leading to tons of drama and exposed secrets. I can’t wait to read this beachy, small-town saga.”
Die for Me by Shirlene Obuobi (July 14)
“Speaking of Summerween, Die for Me speaks to the darkness my little goth heart truly craves — yes, even in summer — while still feeling like an ideal beach read, thanks to the steamy romance at the center. Sean, the only Black interventional cardiologist at her hospital, is still healing from an abusive past relationship. But when she meets Julian, a man eleven years her junior, she can’t help but fall for him. Plot twist: He might or might not be totally human. I love a paranormal romance, but a paranormal romance with a reverse-age gap trope? So sold.” —Caroline Goldstein
Just a Highland Fling by Naina Kumar (July 21)
“If you’re looking for spicy, frothy, and simply fun romance, you can’t go wrong with Naina Kumar. Neelu heads to Scotland for her estranged father’s wedding…where he’s left at the altar after her tipsy rehearsal dinner rant. She decides to make things right by heading on a road trip with him to find his runaway bride. Unexpectedly, the wedding band’s bagpiper (and Neelu’s most recent one-night stand) decides to join, and what follows is a forced-proximity romance gone right.” —Margo Ghertner
The Seekers of Dear Creek by Thao Thai (August 4)
“This one goes out to all of the readers who love to sit by the pool with a family saga. Thao Thai, the author of Banyan Moon, is back with her second book. This one follows estranged sisters Vivi and Calla, who go on a journey to find a lost painting that they hope will help them understand their family’s tumultuous history. Part family story, part ode to art, this is one of those lyrical novels that you’ll want to take your time with.” —Margo Ghertner
The Lion and the Deathless Dark by Carissa Broadbent (August 5)
“I’m a Carissa Broadbent devotee to my core, so I was thrilled to get an early look at this fifth entry in her Crowns of Nyaxia series. While the fourth installment admittedly wasn’t my favorite, this one totally won me back over. The worldbuilding and plotting are complex, but it’s still easy to follow and ultra fast-paced. As far as romantasy couples go, Kyrene and Septimus give my beloved Oraya and Raihn a serious run for their money — their enemies-to-lovers arc is masterfully done.” —Caroline Goldstein