By: Fiona Hansen
As 2025 begins and the days get darker, many readers are looking ahead to brighter skies. We’ve compiled eight upcoming women’s fiction and romance novels ideal for your 2025 Spring-Summer TBR–and the beach! Whether you’re looking for a bit of mystery, adventure, or somewhere in between, ready yourselves for delightful and impactful reads fit for the beach.
WHERE YOU ONCE BELONGED by Lorna Graham (She Writes Press; Trade Paperback; May 15, 2025)
The upcoming release from the Dateline NBC writer and author of The Ghost of Greenwich Village, Where You Once Belonged is fit for fans of Chandler Baker’s Whisper Network. TV news producer Everleigh knows succeeding as a woman means sacrifice. That doesn’t make it any easier when she gets stuck behind a rock and a hard place, choosing between her principles or rising to the top position in her network. When her college reunion takes a spiritual turn, Everleigh is faced with the harshest judge of all; one her younger self could never have anticipated. This is a twisty and enthralling pick for any reader craving a crowd-pleaser packed with intrigue, mystery, feminism, and self-reflection.
BOTTOM OF THE BREATH by Jayne Mills (She Writes Press; Trade Paperback; July 8, 2025)
This contemporary debut of Bottom of the Breath is suited for lovers of Liane Moriarty and Maria Semple is chock-full of all the premier things–mystery, romance, and adventure. Cyd’s peaceful Florida life is upended when she learns of her unexpected inheritance from an estranged relative. Even more mysterious: Cyd must go on a treasure hunt across the country to collect it. She embarks on the trip of a lifetime to the Grand Canyon with her husband and, along the way, explores family secrets, her past, and her future. Are you on the hunt for a read that hits that sweet spot between heartfelt and engrossing? You’ve found it.
WHAT HAPPENS IN AMSTERDAM by Rachel Lynn Solomon (Berkley; Trade Paperback; May 6, 2025)
Rachel Lynn Solomon, New York Times notable author of Ex Talk and Weather Girl, is returning to shelves with this sweet and spicy romance. When Dani loses her job and unexpectedly lands a new one in Amsterdam, she’s more than ready for a new beginning. That is until her past opens up, and she crashes her bike into her ex-boyfriend (and exchange student). Dani and Wouter rediscover their lingering chemistry, but when a marriage of convenience seems like their only option, they must decide whether a second chance is in their cards. What Happens in Amsterdam aims to be a fresh twist on familiar favorite tropes and a picture-perfect escape into the land of tulips and canals.
GREAT BIG BEAUTIFUL LIFE by Emily Henry (Berkley; Hardcover; April 22, 2025)
Romance superstar Emily Henry is back with another swoon-worthy read for fans, new and old. A writer hoping for her big break must compete against an award-winning author for the chance to pen the biography of a long-missing (or is she?) heiress. Faced with a one-month trial–and unwanted, sizzling tension, the two writers must uncover the truth and whether the heiress’ tale–and theirs–will be a tragedy or a love story. Whether you’re just discovering Emily Henry or a superfan of her backlist, 2025 is sure to have bluer skies with this exciting release in store. Great Big Beautiful Life aims to be the happy medium between emotionally resonant fiction and swoon-worthy romance, with Henry’s characteristic small-town setting and laugh-out-loud humor.
Which of these reads are you hoping to pack in your beach bag this summer? Let us know in the comments below!
Published by Anne C.
