As the weather finally heats up here in the Pac. NW, it puts me in mind to pack up the tote and jaunt off to the park to soak up the sun and enjoy a good read (in between a picnic and some footie).
Here are some tried and true, and new, picks for summer reads to sizzle up your lazy Saturdays.
1. I am a huge fan of Jenna Petersen and can’t wait to peel this sure to be steamy read off the shelves. Delicious Dukes and heroines out for revenge sounds like a sure-fire good time. Buy it at Better Than Chocolate Books or buy ebook version direct from Avon here.
2. Due out at the end of July, Eloisa James releases a “fractured fairy tale” event with A Kiss at Midnight. Check out the first chapter on Eloisa’s website here.
3. Dark castles and melodrama abound in this new old favorite; Jane Austen’s Northanger Abbey is delicious and features the understated hero Mr. Tilney. Bonus: rent the recent Masterpiece movie after you read the book to experience Catherine’s gothic imagination all over again!
4. Anne Mallory paints the cover red in her new book Seven Secrets of Seduction. A dirty book and a daydreaming heroine make a yummy combination for juicy hist-ro.
5. Regency Buck by Georgette Heyer. I just gave this one my third read having discovered Georgette late in life—and I love it! Recommended for those who love simply sweet (and G rated) romance.
6. Love in the Afternoon by Lisa Kleypas is her newest and final in her Hathaways series. As the cap to a delightful series, its sure to be a treasure.
7. Brenda Joyce’s recent release An Impossible Attraction 
is part of her de Warenne Dynasty series, and with such a lovely cover and rave reviews, I am definitely look forward to jumping in.
8. Mary Balogh never steers me wrong and as a mom (and book buddy) favorite, I can’t wait to get her new book A Secret Affair. Another series finale, we finally get Constantine Huxtable’s story—for fans of the Huxtable Family Saga its a story we have been waiting for!
9. Scoring high marks from The Romance Reader, In For A Penny will be my introduction to author Rose Lerner–and one I am excited to make! Read the Romance Reader review here.
10. No summer reading list can be complete without a contemporary classic. And one of my favorites deserves to make the list as it makes it way back up the stack by the bedside. This summer I will be delving back into the Emily Ashton of Tasha Alexander’s And Only To Deceive, quickly to be followed by A Poisoned Season, A Fatal Waltz, and Tears of Pearl.
