Fall Feels in Sunny Season: 5 Summerween Romance Reads

This fun YA rom-com is a fat-positive adventure in the haunted house genre from one of my favorite romance authors. Amity Callaway had everything planned for the summer after her senior year…until her mother uprooted them and moved them across the country to small New England towns and big old haunted houses. Not that Amity believes in haunted houses, but the house is populated by a cute and eccentric ghost hunter and amateur historian who is passionate about documenting paranormal activity in the house. Howe’s trademark humor is on full display here, and these characters are as engaging as I’m used to her. The combination of summer vacation and a chilling haunted house gives you the perfect Summer Vienna atmosphere.

Just released this summer as a SummerWeen read, Alyse Lin’s lively book follows Samantha “Sabbie” Spook, a recent graduate and accountant. But when her grandmother dies, Savvy returns to Salem, Massachusetts, the most Halloween town of all, to take over her family’s magical wedding planning business. The creatures and characters that inhabit her world are surprisingly unexpected (including the love interest she finds) at the cemetery) and Savvy’s attempts to find himself and figure out what he really wants is heartwarming.

This paranormal YA romance centers on Brennan, a college student who returns from summer vacation only to survive a suicide attempt and become a vampire. Cue adorable librarian Cole, a secret society, and a super sweet love story, and this is one that stacks up. D’Amato’s characters are well-written, and the story’s treatment of mental health is sensitive and thoughtful, perfect for its target audience. Despite being set at the end of the summer holidays, it manages to give a solid Summer Vienna vibe.

If you’re in the mood for a shorter Summer Vienna read, this novella by a popular romance author is perfect. Set on the fictional island of Bruja off the coast of Miami, up-and-coming fashion designer (and witch) Catalina Cartagena returns home from New York to attend her sister’s wedding. As you can imagine, magic problems abound. And of course, Kat must team up with her high school nemesis turned hot guy to battle the demons who are trying to turn the wedding into something twisted.

There’s something about road trip novels that screams “summer” every time. But when Road Tripper is a reformed witch trying to put her checkered past behind her and a sexy yoga-loving vampire who has lost her memory, it’s Summerween. Although it’s the third book in the series, it can also be read as a standalone, giving it a fun fall feel despite its summer setting. Also, the love story between these two is really wonderful. Witch Zelda’s desire to deny her witch powers is a good self-growth story, and vampire Peter’s quest for lost memories provides readers with a light mystery.