The Washington Post - USA (2022-05-29)

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E10 EZ EE THE WASHINGTON POST.SUNDAY, MAY 29 , 2022


Summer Books 2022

BY ALI HAZELWOOD

Y

ou can read them on
the beach. You can lis-
ten to them while
walking your dog. You
can download them on your
phone and sneak in a few para-
graphs at work because you got
to a scene that’s sogood, you
can’t put it down, even though
you’re due at your boss’s office
for your yearly performance
review. It doesn’t matter how,
or where, or when y ou c onsume
your romance novels; t he result
is always a guaranteed happy
ending. Therefore, without fur-
ther ado, here are 13 new ro-
mance books — one for each
week of your Happily Ever Af-
ter Summer — that will replen-
ish your serotonin reserves.

The Beach Trap,
by Ali Brady
Two estranged sisters team
up to fix a dilapidated beach
house. There is a special place
in my heart for media in which
the real love story is about
sisters finding each other (see:
“Fleabag”), and that’s what
“The Beach Trap” delivers: the
tale of two women who decide
to put each other first. But in
the process, they also find ro-
mance with two different —
but equally swoony — guys.

Book Lovers,
by Emily Henry
Henry’s beautiful, lyrical
writing style needs no intro-
duction, so let me just ask:
What if the villain of a Hall-
mark movie got to be the main
character of her own story?
And, what if there were good
reasons that she acts the way
she does? And and, what if she
were a cutthroat literary agent
finding love with a grumpy
editor? If you’re a book lover,
this is the perfect read for you.

A Caribbean Heiress in
Paris, by Adriana Herrera
We’re in Paris, at the end of
the 19th century. Luz is a
Caribbean businesswoman
who just wants to have fun and
live her best life. Enter James,
a Scottish earl. He and Luz
have what can only be defined

as a Meet Explosive, and later
embark on a marriage of con-
venience that quickly becomes
much more. This book is a
must-read whether you’re in
the mood for steamy banter,
kilts, rum or heroes who fall
hard and fast.

Lucie Yi Is Not a
Romantic, by Lauren Ho
Lucie Yi wants a baby, but
she’s done with men. So she
enters a platonic co-parenting
agreement with Collin. What
could go wrong? Everything.
Lauren Ho’s writing is voicy
and funny, her commentary
on-point and her stories a wild
ride. Pick up this book for the
opposites-attract relationship,
and stay for the friendships,
the Singapore setting and the
journey to motherhood. (Avail-
able June 21)

The Romantic Agenda,
by Claire Kann
Asexual characters! Who
fake-date! And fall in love! And
navigate complicated relation-
ships! Sometimes I think that
Kann wrote Joy, the lead of
“The Romantic Agenda,” just
for me — that’s how deeply I
fell for her. This book is com-
plex and layered. Joy is in love
with her best friend, who’s
ready to propose to someone
else. This kicks off a love quad-
rangle of sorts that explores
the nuances of friendship and
the ace spectrum in a romance
novel unlike any other, with
characters that feel so real and
lines that sound like poetry.

Something Wilder,
by Christina Lauren
Imagine “Indiana Jones,”
but the female lead is a wilder-
ness guide, and the male lead
is a math genius who helps on
a high-stakes treasure hunt.
And, of course, they happen to
have a past. This book has
twists and turns like no other.
One of them? There is only one
sleeping bag. And our lovely
couple makes excellent use of
it. This is equal parts romance,
adventure and mystery, sprin-
kled with fun banter and that
delicious second-chance ro-
mance angst.

Set on You,
by Amy Lea
A curvy Chinese American
fitness influencer. Her hot fire-
fighter nemesis. An argument
that ends with them making
out in the gym locker room.
Need I say more? I don’t think
so, but I will: This book has a
super-steamy bathtub scene,
forced proximity due to an
upcoming family wedding and
an adorable goldendoodle. If
you loved “The Hating Game”
(and we all did) you must pick
up “Set on You.”

The Sizzle Paradox,
by Lily Menon
Lyric is a Columbia PhD
student who researches sexual
attraction but is too awkward
to date. Kian, her roommate
and fellow PhD student, offers
to tutor her. We all know
what’s going to happen. Never-
theless, the journey is an un-
putdownable flurry of friends-
to-lovers, fake-dating and
“Let’s just give in to temptation
once and get it out of our
system” (i.e., all the best
tropes). It’s academic romance
perfection. (Available June 14)

On Rotation,
by Shirlene Obuobi
I’m a sucker for medical
settings, and for women navi-
gating STEM academia, and
for strong female friendships,
and for coming-of-age stories.
Basically, I’m a sucker for this
book. Angie, a med student
and daughter of Ghanaian
immigrants, finds her h appily
ever after with the guy she
least expected. But above all
she finds herself and her
place in the world, with hu-
mor and sweetness. (Avail-
able June 21)

The Dead Romantics,
by Ashley Poston
A romance ghostwriter who
no longer believes in love ends
up falling in love... with the
ghost of her late editor. Best
hook ever, right? But there’s
more, because after a death in
the family, the ghost helps her
set things right. This one, amid
the whimsical setting and
laugh-out-loud humor, is a

tear-jerker with an emotional
happy ending. (Available June
28)

Wicked Beauty,
by Katee Robert
Disclosure: I have not read
this book. Because I don’t have
a copy. But I have read all the
other books in the series, and
boy, I’ve been eagerly awaiting
No. 3. No one mixes fantasy,
romance and erotica as well as
Robert, and if you are a fan of
steamy and original Greek
myth retellings you are con-
tractually bound to pick up her
work. “Wicked Beauty” is
about Achilles, Patroclus and
Helen (so basically the poly
book of my dreams). (Available
June 7)

Dating Dr. Dil,
by Nisha Sharma
This book was my Book of
the Month Club pick for April,
and I regret not devouring it
the second it was delivered. If
you like Shakespeare r etellings
(“The Ta ming of the Shrew”)
“Dating Dr. Dil” is for you. A
lawyer and physician have a
televised fight over whether
true love exists, and to save
face in their community
they’re forced to get fake-en-
gaged. Except that, oh no,
they’re really attracted to each
other. And oh no, the sex is
really good. This book is rom-
com gold: steamy, hilarious
fun with tons of swoony, emo-
tional scenes.

The Airport Novellas,
by Denise Williams
Not quite a book, but a
collection of three related no-
vellas — “The Missed Connec-
tion,” “The Love Connection”
and “The Sweetest Connec-
tion” — that take place in an
airport. The setting is charm-
ing and unique, just like Wil-
liams’s writing. Friends to lov-
ers, enemies to lovers, strang-
ers to lovers ... the tropes are
all here, and they’re at their
absolute best.

Ali Hazelwood is the author of
“The Love Hypothesis” and three
novellas. Her next novel, “Love on
the Brain,” is forthcoming Aug. 23.

Special romance to read, savor and share

A roundup of meet-cute, fake-date, fall-in-love titles runs the gamut of finding connections in unexpected places

JENTWO (JANEJIRA TAECHAKAMPU)/ILLUSTRATION FOR THE WASHINGTON POST

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