When you’re querying a summer reads romance, choosing the right comp titles can make or break your chances of being published because agents and publishing house editors use comp titles as a quick way to gauge the genre of your book along with its market potential.
I regularly update this list of summer reads romance comp titles to make sure you’re always working with relevant books.
No matter if you’re writing a sweet, slow-burn summer reads romance or something fast and spicy, you’ll find titles below to help you write a killer query letter!
If you’re looking for something a bit more specific, check out my romance comp database.
- A First Time for EverythingYear published: 2025Genre and themes: contemporary, friends to lovers, summer, summer reads, young adult
- A Week at the ShoreYear published: 2020Genre and themes: adult, chick lit, contemporary, family, mystery, summer reads, womens fiction
- An Island SummerYear published: 2022Genre and themes: adult, beach reads, chick lit, contemporary, mystery, summer, summer reads, womens fiction
- Beach House RulesYear published: 2025Genre and themes: adult, beach reads, chick lit, contemporary, family, summer, summer reads, womens fiction
- Beach House SummerYear published: 2022Genre and themes: adult, beach reads, chick lit, contemporary, summer, summer reads, womens fiction
- Beach ReadYear published: 2020Genre and themes: adult, chick lit, contemporary, enemies to lovers, summer, summer reads
- BreathlessYear published: 2020Genre and themes: coming of age, contemporary, realistic fiction, summer, summer reads, young adult
- Cruel SummerYear published: 2023Genre and themes: adult, contemporary, friends to lovers, he falls first, rom com, summer, summer reads
- Do I Know You?Year published: 2023Genre and themes: adult, contemporary, second chance, summer, summer reads
- Every Summer AfterYear published: 2022Genre and themes: adult, book club, contemporary, friends to lovers, second chance, summer, summer reads
- Family of LiarsYear published: 2022Genre and themes: contemporary, mystery, summer, summer reads, thriller, young adult
- Friends to LoversYear published: 2025Genre and themes: adult, contemporary, friends to lovers, second chance, summer, summer reads
- From the JumpYear published: 2022Genre and themes: adult, chick lit, contemporary, friends to lovers, summer, summer reads
- Good Girl ComplexYear published: 2022Genre and themes: adult, college, contemporary, new adult, summer, summer reads
- Happy PlaceYear published: 2023Genre and themes: adult, book club, chick lit, contemporary, summer, summer reads
- Heart BonesYear published: 2020Genre and themes: contemporary, new adult, summer, summer reads, young adult
- Hello, SummerYear published: 2020Genre and themes: adult, beach reads, chick lit, contemporary, mystery, summer, summer reads
- It Happened One SummerYear published: 2021Genre and themes: adult, contemporary, enemies to lovers, rom com, summer, summer reads
- It's a Love StoryYear published: 2025Genre and themes: adult, chick lit, contemporary, rom com, summer, summer reads
- Jackpot SummerYear published: 2024Genre and themes: adult, contemporary, family, humor, summer, summer reads
- Just for the SummerYear published: 2024Genre and themes: adult, book club, chick lit, contemporary, summer, summer reads
- Kisses and CroissantsYear published: 2021Genre and themes: contemporary, summer, summer reads, travel, young adult
- Look on the Bright SideYear published: 2024Genre and themes: adult, chick lit, contemporary, family, summer reads, womens fiction
- Maine CharactersYear published: 2025Genre and themes: adult, book club, chick lit, contemporary, summer, summer reads
- Malibu RisingYear published: 2021Genre and themes: adult, book club, contemporary, historical, summer, summer reads
- Mansion BeachYear published: 2025Genre and themes: adult, beach reads, book club, chick lit, contemporary, mystery, summer, summer reads
- Meet Me at the LakeYear published: 2023Genre and themes: adult, book club, chick lit, contemporary, summer, summer reads
- My Killer VacationYear published: 2022Genre and themes: adult, contemporary, enemies to lovers, mystery, rom com, summer reads, thriller
- My Summer DarlingsYear published: 2022Genre and themes: adult, book club, mystery, summer, summer reads, suspense, thriller
- On Ocean BoulevardYear published: 2020Genre and themes: adult, beach reads, chick lit, contemporary, southern, summer, summer reads, womens fiction
- One Golden SummerYear published: 2025Genre and themes: adult, book club, chick lit, contemporary, summer, summer reads
- One Last ShotYear published: 2024Genre and themes: adult, contemporary, friends to lovers, second chance, summer, summer reads
- One Perfect SummerYear published: 2020Genre and themes: adult, chick lit, contemporary, family, mystery, summer, summer reads, womens fiction
- Our Italian SummerYear published: 2021Genre and themes: Italy, adult, book club, chick lit, contemporary, summer, summer reads, travel
- People We Meet on VacationYear published: 2021Genre and themes: adult, chick lit, contemporary, friends to lovers, summer, summer reads
- Picking Daisies on SundaysYear published: 2023Genre and themes: contemporary, fake dating, friends to lovers, rom com, summer, summer reads, young adult
- Places We've Never BeenYear published: 2022Genre and themes: contemporary, friends to lovers, road trip, summer, summer reads, young adult
- Problematic Summer RomanceYear published: 2025Genre and themes: adult, contemporary, forced proximity, friends to lovers, summer, summer reads
- Seven Days in JuneYear published: 2021Genre and themes: adult, book club, contemporary, second chance, summer, summer reads
- Seven SummersYear published: 2024Genre and themes: adult, beach reads, book club, chick lit, contemporary, summer, summer reads
- Slow Burn SummerYear published: 2025Genre and themes: adult, books about books, chick lit, contemporary, summer, summer reads
- Summer DarlingsYear published: 2020Genre and themes: adult, chick lit, historical, summer, summer reads, womens fiction
- Summer FridaysYear published: 2024Genre and themes: adult, chick lit, contemporary, historical, summer, summer reads
- Summer in the CityYear published: 2025Genre and themes: adult, contemporary, enemies to lovers, fake dating, rom com, summer, summer reads
- Summer LoveYear published: 2022Genre and themes: adult, beach reads, chick lit, contemporary, summer, summer reads, womens fiction
- Summer RomanceYear published: 2024Genre and themes: adult, chick lit, contemporary, rom com, summer, summer reads
- SunkissedYear published: 2021Genre and themes: contemporary, summer, summer reads, young adult
- Sunny Side UpYear published: 2025Genre and themes: adult, chick lit, contemporary, rom com, summer, summer reads
- Swan SongYear published: 2024Genre and themes: adult, beach reads, book club, chick lit, contemporary, mystery, summer, summer reads
- The Beach HouseYear published: 2021Genre and themes: adult, beach reads, chick lit, contemporary, summer, summer reads
- The Five-Star WeekendYear published: 2023Genre and themes: adult, beach reads, book club, chick lit, contemporary, summer, summer reads
- The HomewreckersYear published: 2022Genre and themes: adult, book club, chick lit, contemporary, mystery, summer, summer reads
- The Island VillaYear published: 2023Genre and themes: adult, chick lit, contemporary, family, summer, summer reads, travel
- The Last SummerYear published: 2022Genre and themes: Roman, Scotland, adult, historical, summer, summer reads
- The LayoverYear published: 2021Genre and themes: adult, chick lit, contemporary, enemies to lovers, rom com, summer, summer reads
- The Love HatersYear published: 2025Genre and themes: adult, chick lit, contemporary, rom com, summer, summer reads
- The Paradise ProblemYear published: 2024Genre and themes: adult, book club, chick lit, contemporary, summer, summer reads
- The Roughest DraftYear published: 2022Genre and themes: adult, books about books, contemporary, enemies to lovers, summer, summer reads
- The Second HomeYear published: 2020Genre and themes: adult, contemporary, family, literary fiction, summer, summer reads
- The Summer GirlYear published: 2023Genre and themes: adult, contemporary, friends to lovers, new adult, small town, summer, summer reads
- The Summer JobYear published: 2021Genre and themes: adult, chick lit, contemporary, rom com, summer, summer reads
- The Summer of Broken RulesYear published: 2021Genre and themes: book club, contemporary, friends to lovers, summer, summer reads, young adult
- The Summer of Lost and FoundYear published: 2021Genre and themes: adult, beach reads, chick lit, contemporary, southern, summer, summer reads, womens fiction
- The Summer PactYear published: 2024Genre and themes: adult, beach reads, book club, chick lit, contemporary, summer, summer reads
- The Summer She Went MissingYear published: 2024Genre and themes: mystery, summer, summer reads, suspense, thriller, young adult
- The Summer SwapYear published: 2024Genre and themes: adult, chick lit, contemporary, family, summer, summer reads
- These Summer StormsYear published: 2025Genre and themes: adult, book club, contemporary, family, summer, summer reads
- Thirst for SaltYear published: 2023Genre and themes: adult, book club, coming of age, contemporary, literary fiction, summer, summer reads
- This Summer Will Be DifferentYear published: 2024Genre and themes: adult, book club, chick lit, contemporary, summer, summer reads
- Till Summer Do Us PartYear published: 2025Genre and themes: adult, contemporary, fake dating, forced proximity, rom com, summer, summer reads
- Tourist TrapYear published: 2025Genre and themes: adult, contemporary, forced proximity, found family, friends to lovers, small town, summer, summer reads
- Under a Greek SkyYear published: 2025Genre and themes: adult, chick lit, contemporary, family, summer, summer reads
- We Fell ApartYear published: 2025Genre and themes: contemporary, mystery, summer, summer reads, thriller, young adult
- You and Me on VacationYear published: 2021Genre and themes: adult, chick lit, contemporary, friends to lovers, summer, summer reads
Other resources to assist with your querying journey
Comp titles are only a small piece of the querying puzzle! Here are other resources I offer to help writers achieve their dreams of publishing their novels:
- Developmental editing services
- Pre-querying package
- Publishers accepting manuscript submissions this month
- Romance tropes list
- Random romance trope generator
Frequently asked questions
How recent do comp titles need to be?
Comp titles should be published within the past five to seven years so it is representative of the current market potential of your manuscript.
Can I use bestselling books as a comp title?
Yes, you can! However, the bestselling books aren’t always the most suitable options. While it’s integral that a comp title has sold well, it’s better to choose a comp title that’s sold less well but closer represents the tone and overall vibe of your own book.
How many comp titles should I include in my query letter?
You should aim for two comp titles in your query letter. You can include three, but agents would expect more than one.
Can I use a series as a comp title?
You can, but it’s best to pick a specific book within that series that best represents your manuscript.
What if I can’t find a summer reads romance comp title that fits my book?
You can broaden your horizons to also include other subgenres of romance!”