The Hottest Summer Reads of 2025
There’s a reason spicy food hits different in the summer. Those hot peppers don’t just make your tongue tingle—they can actually help cool you down. Capsaicin, the compound behind that fiery kick, activates your thermoreceptors (the sensors that detect temperature shifts) and nudges your body into sweating, which is its built-in A/C. So could a spicy book work the same way? Maybe not exactly, but when the days are long and sweltering, any excuse to stay in and indulge is worth it—which is why the spicy summer reads below belong at the top of your TBR.
We rounded up some of the season’s steamiest, swooniest reads—from a fantasy-fueled romance by bestselling author Rebecca Ross (whose work is already headed for a Paramount Pictures adaptation), to indie releases, to a cheeky romantasy inspired by a Dungeons and Dragons actual-play series. It’s a lineup made for late-night reading under full blast air conditioning.
Spice levels vary—some of these are full-blown infernos, others a gentle sizzle—but all deliver on romantic heat. A few include open-door or explicit scenes, so readers looking for tamer fare should proceed with caution—and maybe a fan.
The Knight and The Moth by Rachel Gillig
Fans of Gillig have nothing to worry about—her latest is right on par with the beloved The Shepherd King duology. The Knight and the Moth, the first in her new Stonewater Kingdom series, is a gothic romance packed with vivid world-building and gloriously thorny characters. Gillig has a gift for writing original, dark fairy tales in haunting prose, and this one is especially seductive and rich with atmosphere. Six has been a Diviner since childhood, piously devoted to her calling despite the fact that it requires her to drown in a sacred pool at Aisling Cathedral in order to receive prophecies. Her gift, bestowed by one of the six gods known as the Omens, comes with ritual gossamer-bound eyes, a cathedral guarded by stone gargoyles and the promise that after ten years of drowning, she’ll be freed.
But her carefully controlled world begins to unravel when Benedict III, the new king of Traum, arrives. The prophecy she receives for him is grim—but it’s not the king that lingers in her mind, it’s one of his knights. Rory, with kohl-lined eyes and a blasphemous sneer, seems intent on mocking everything Six holds sacred. When the king and his knights depart, life returns to its rigid rhythm—until Diviners begin vanishing in the night, one by one, and Six is the only one left. Desperate, she seeks out the very king whose fate she’s seen—and the knight she can’t seem to forget.
The romance is strung tight across the novel, full of sharp banter and slow-burn tension that eventually smolders into something more. By the time we reach the armor fitting scene (yes, even that’s hot), it’s clear an epic romance is underway. The spice level is mild, more pronounced than in Gillig’s earlier work but never at the expense of her intricate world-building or narrative control.
For Ever by Jenny Hickman
Jenny Hickman knows her way around a cozy romantasy, and For Ever—the first in her new Willowhaven series—is a sweet and spicy summer standout. Readers who crave the banter of Bridgerton and a touch of magic with their romance will find plenty to adore in this cottage-core fantasy, where courtship comes with corsets, curses and just enough fae drama. Kerris Dawn, newly twenty-four, arrives in the Seelie City of Rosehill in search of a husband, dazzled by its beauty and its broader selection of eligible fae bachelors. But before she settles down, she’s ready to enjoy a little fun—and as the fresh-faced newcomer, she’s drawing plenty of attention. A night of giggles and glitter lands her in the sights of Prince Ronan and several other suitors, but it’s the dangerous and decidedly off-limits Everett Gathin who keeps her up at night.
Everett, a brutal Unseelie warrior from the lands of shadow and death, is not just a socially disastrous match—he may also be harboring deadly secrets. What starts out as a breezy fae frolic in flower crowns and moonlit balls deepens into something more layered, as Hickman subtly weaves in themes of sexism, class tension and power imbalance—territory often left untouched in lighter romantasy. The romance simmers at a slow burn, but when it catches, it’s worth the wait. For fans of star-crossed lovers and happily-ever-afters, For Ever delivers just enough heat to leave a mark.
Not Safe for Work by Nisha J. Tuli
If you’re a glutton for a glacially paced slow burn, Not Safe for Work will scratch that particular itch and, yes, the wait is absolutely worth it. Known for her fantasy romance series Artefacts of Ouranos, Tuli proves she’s just as sharp in the contemporary lane with this STEM-centric, enemies-to-lovers rom-com that hits all the right trope notes: forced proximity, one bed and a lot of delicious tension. Engineer Trishara Malik has spent years grinding at WMC Purcell, only to watch the promotion she earned get handed to Rafe Gallagher, a nepo baby with a résumé gilded by family connections. Burned out and bitter, she accepts a spot on a corporate leadership retreat in Maui, hoping for a breather and some distance from Rafe.
No such luck. A hotel mix-up lands them in the honeymoon suite with no other rooms and a full itinerary of team-building challenges designed to force maximum contact. What’s worse is that Rafe turns out to be infuriatingly charming, surprisingly self-aware and unfairly good at baking. As Trishara’s armor cracks, the two engage in whip-smart banter that simmers into something hotter. Tuli excels at writing verbal foreplay, and this one delivers beachy vibes, open-door steam and just enough emotional depth to keep you hooked from page one to the final payoff.
Terror at the Gates by Scarlett St. Clair
Fans of Scarlett St. Clair know the drill—high heat, high stakes and mythic-scale drama—and her latest doesn’t disappoint. Known for turning well-worn legends into seductive dark fantasies in her Adrian x Isolde and Hades x Persephone series, St. Clair now takes on Lilith in a gritty urban romantasy set in a city called Eden, where biblical symbolism meets neo-noir crime. Here, Lilith Leviathan has been banished and now prowls the shadowy district of Nineveh, using her power, charm and survival instincts to stay one step ahead of warring mafia-style political families and a watchful, patriarchal church. Eden is ruled by five families—and then there’s the church—and they’re all closing in on Lilith’s irreverent defiance and slippery grip on power.
When she acquires a mysterious blade she plans to sell for a shot at freedom, things go sideways fast: her buyer drops dead mid-deal, and suddenly she’s holding the bag—and the body. Enter Zahariev, the tattooed, sharp-tongued head of the Zareth family and Nineveh’s de facto ruler, who might be just the dangerous ally Lilith needs. Their chemistry is instant and electric… think biblical meets Baz Luhrmann’s Romeo + Juliet with a body count. As always, St. Clair delivers a spicy, blood-slicked slow burn, and Lilith and Zahariev are perfectly matched in power, pride and temptation.
Tusk Love by Thea Guanzon
Monster romance might be a troll bridge too far for some, but if you’re skipping Guanzon’s Tusk Love, you’re missing a seriously swoony, surprisingly sexy ride. Best known for her The Hurricane Wars series—which leans more YA/New Adult in the spice department—Guanzon shifts firmly into adult territory with this tongue-in-cheek romantasy that takes its roots from Critical Role, the wildly popular Dungeons & Dragons actual-play series. The title comes from a running gag in the show, where a character once waved around a fictional book called Tusk Love. Fans joked about wanting a real version. Guanzon, a diehard Critical Role fan herself, decided to make it happen.
The result is Tusk Love, a high-heat, high-fantasy romance following Guinevere, a merchant’s daughter set to marry into nobility to boost her family’s status in the Dwendalian Empire. She’s meant to be a well-behaved wife—but what she really wants is an adventure. She gets one when she’s ambushed by bandits and rescued by Oskar, a brooding half-orc who agrees to escort her to the coastal city of Nicodranas. He’s all gruff silence and quiet strength, she’s a little too posh for her own good, and yet somehow they start to fall—hard.
What begins as an escort mission turns into something far more tender and fraught, with both characters forced to confront who they are and what they’re willing to risk. Expect pining, one-bed tension, some honest-to-gods bodice ripping and a richly immersive fantasy world you’ll want to get lost in.
The Re-Write by Lizzie Damiolia Blackburn
Blackburn, whose fans first fell for her in Yinka, Where Is Your Huzband?, returns with The Re-Write, a sharp, sexy rom-com that flips the script on reality TV romance. A lovers-to-enemies-to-lovers story tailor-made for anyone still obsessed with Love Island but wondering what happens after the cameras stop rolling, it follows Temi and Wale, a couple who once fell hard in London—until Wale ditched her to chase clout on a show called Love Villa. Fast forward: Temi’s broke, single and grinding away as a struggling writer when she lands a gig ghostwriting a memoir. The catch? It’s Wale’s memoir.
Temi agrees, mostly for the money and maybe for the publishing connections—anything to inch closer to a book deal of her own. But working in close quarters with the ex who humiliated her in public is no small emotional feat, especially now that he’s a certified villain in the reality-TV universe. What follows is forced proximity, second chances and enemies-to-lovers antics at their most satisfying. Blackburn brings her signature wit and sizzle, layering flirty banter over deeper conversations about caregiving burnout, toxic masculinity and what it really means to love yourself before loving someone else.
An Academic Affair by Jodi McAlister
Nerdy romance fans have a new academic pairing to obsess over in McAlister’s An Academic Affair, a literary love fest packed with rivals-to-lovers tension and just the right amount of slow-burn spice. Sadie Shaw has sacrificed everything for a shot at a coveted academic post—surviving on cheap noodles, cramming into shared apartments and skipping out on fun in pursuit of tenure-track glory. Every step of the way, she’s been matched—and maddened—by Jonah Fisher, her smug, insufferably sharp academic rival. He challenges her arguments, dismantles her papers and, to make matters worse, hails from a pompous academic dynasty, complete with a father who openly disdains Shaw’s focus on Romance as a serious field of study.
Now they’re both up for the same job, a career-making position that only one can win—unless there’s a loophole that gives them both what they want. When Shaw discovers that Fisher isn’t chasing prestige for his father but to support a sister in need, her soft spot kicks in. She proposes a deal straight out of the tropes she studies and secretly loves—one that just might turn their intellectual rivalry into something more tender, and much steamier. The burn is slow, the consent is deliberate and caring and the chemistry is undeniable. Fans of Ali Hazelwood will find plenty to love in McAlister’s brainy, big-hearted romance.
Pugs and Kisses by Farrah Rochon
Farrah Rochon—best known for her acclaimed New York Sabers football series for Harlequin’s Romance imprint—is back with Pugs and Kisses, an utterly charming slow-burn romance with just the right amount of bite. Sure, there may be some bias here (the titular pugs play a prominent role), but Rochon’s latest is warm, funny and impossible to put down. Evie Williams had a pretty calm life mapped out: a steady job as a veterinarian and a wedding on the horizon—until she comes home to find her fiancé cheating and suddenly loses both her relationship and her job, since he also happened to own the clinic.
Luckily, an old mentor ropes her into helping out at an animal shelter, where she’s surprised to find herself working alongside Bryson Mitchell, the ex-fling who ghosted her years ago—and who has since become a frustratingly handsome veterinary surgeon. Evie wants to keep things strictly professional, especially after so many emotional curveballs, but neither of them ever really got over their old spark. As they navigate awkward reunions, family baggage, unresolved jealousy and a few too many canine complications, it becomes clear there’s still a lot simmering beneath the surface.
Bears and Bakeries by Dylan Drakes
The second installment in Dylan Drake’s cozy queer romance Sweet and Stocky series delivers exactly what the title promises—comfort, charm and a whole lot of heat. Sure, the pastel cover might scream snuggle-up sweetness, and there’s plenty of that here, but don’t be fooled: this one turns up the spice several notches higher than most entries in the genre. This isn’t a bakery for prudes—there are buns, and there’s love, and there’s more than enough to go around.
Locky Sorenson is an accountant by trade, but spreadsheets have never set his heart racing. What he really craves is the alchemy of baking—the scent of fresh bread, the precision of perfect buttercream, the warmth of a well-executed chocolate chip cookie. Still, he’s convinced that dream isn’t realistic—until a layoff leaves him at a crossroads and a severance check opens the door to something sweeter. He uses it to open a late-night bakery, serving decadent treats after dark, and hires the capable, charming Benedict Harris to help him run it. The business heats up fast—and so does their relationship. What starts with frosting and flour turns quickly into something much steamier, proving that in Drake’s world, comfort food and queer romance make the perfect recipe.
Wild Reverence by Rebecca Ross
Prepare to fall in love—with the prose, the world building and the slow, aching romance—because Rebecca Ross delivers again in Wild Reverence, a prequel to her bestselling Letters of Enchantment series. That series, a Goodreads favorite and now headed to the screen with a Paramount Pictures adaptation scripted by Sofia Alvarez, established Ross as a master of lyrical romantasy—and Wild Reverence only deepens that legacy. Set generations before the events of the original books, it imagines a world where gods and goddesses treat mortals as disposable entertainment—except when it comes to the forbidden, transcendent bond between Matilda and Vincent.
Matilda, raised among gods who see love as a liability, has always been warned never to form attachments to mortals. But even as a child, she slips into the dreams of Vincent, a mortal boy who meets her again and again in their shared subconscious. Over the years, they grow up together—through dreams and nightmares—learning each other’s fears, desires and flaws in the most intimate, otherworldly way. When Matilda is forced to flee her underground borough of gods and seek refuge in the sky, she leaves Vincent behind. Years later, she returns—but he is now a battle-worn lord in the middle of a brutal war, and trust is no longer a given. The spice is understated—slightly more daring than in Ross’ previous work, but still restrained—but the emotional payoff is exquisitely earned. This is a classic slow burn, soaked in longing and laced with epic-scale romantic yearning.
