Summer Romance — Letting Yourself Feel Again

In this summer-inspired episode of Lit with Lara Ashley, Lara Ashley leans into softness, joy, and the beauty of romance, sharing a curated list of books that invite you to feel, connect, and enjoy reading without pressure.

From the emotional complexity of Happy Place to the fun, escapist energy of The Paradise Problem and the nostalgic pull of Same Time Next Summer, this episode explores the many layers of summer love stories.

Lara reflects on why romance matters, how we’ve been conditioned to tie joy to productivity, and what it looks like to give yourself permission to simply enjoy something again.

She also highlights a few deeper, emotionally rich romance reads on her radar, including Seven Days in June and Before I Let Go; stories that center connection, growth, and real-life love.

To close, Lara shares a Community Library of romance reads that balance humor, heart, and representation, perfect for building your summer reading list.

If you’ve been craving softness, connection, or just a good love story, this episode is for you.

Grab your favorite drink, settle in, and let yourself feel something again.

This episode was lit. ✨

Transcript

SPEAKER_00 0:02

Hey friends, and welcome back to Lit with Laura Ashley. This is your cozy corner of the internet where we talk about books, storytelling, and the emotions they unlock us, they unlock in us, especially the ones we don't always make space for. So wherever you are, maybe you're outside, maybe you're winding down, maybe you're just taking a moment for yourself. Go ahead and grab your favorite drink and settle in. Because today's episode is soft. It's about romance, it's about joy, and it's about letting yourself feel things again. I think sometimes we forget that reading can just be enjoyable, not productive, not educational, not something we have to analyze, just something that makes us feel good. And romance books, especially in the summer, do that so well. They remind us what connection feels like, what chemistry feels like, and what vulnerability feels like. And sometimes we need that reminder. At some point, I think we start to associate enjoyment with guilt. Like I should be doing something more productive, I should be reading something more serious. But why? Why can't joy be enough? Why can't softness be enough? And romance books for me are a way back into that space, especially for the summer. So one of the books that I am excited to read for my soft girl summer is Happy Place. This one feels like summer, but with layers. It follows a couple who broke up but haven't told their friends yet, and end up on a vacation together, pretending everything is fine. And that alone, that tension, yeah, I'm already in. But what I love about this is that it's not just about romance, it's about who we are in relationships, how we change over time, and what it looks like to hold on to something or to let it go. And the setting being away, being on vacation, being in close proximity just heightens everything. This feels like emotional, a little messy, but also very real. And the kind of book that makes you reflect on what your own relationships while reading it. And I'm so, so ready for that for this summer. Next is the paradise problem. This one is giving vacation romance, tropical setting, fake relationship, another forced proximity, all the things. And this is what I love about summer romance. It lets you step into a version of life where everything feels a little heightened, emotions move a little faster, and connection feels easier. Even if it's just for the duration of the book. Second chance love, coastal setting, perfect for the summer, and history between the characters. And I love this kind of romance because it's not just about falling in love, but about returning to something, revisiting who you were, and deciding who you want to be now. I think we've seen a lot of this since some of the redoings and uh flashbacks to some of our nostalgic old favorite shows, like when Hannah Montana did her 20th anniversary, or Laguna Beach characters. I'm sorry, not characters, uh the Laguna Beach cast coming back and talking about their time in the spotlight and everything like that. I think we see a lot of it of kind of the history between the characters that we've been following since we were 12. And I think this book kind of stems into that as well. But it's also about being softer to ourselves and being more reflective, but still very much rooted in love. Some other romance reads I'm excited about this summer is Seven Days in June. It's layered, it's emotional, and it's a classic black love story that I can't wait to dive into and before I let go. This one's a little bit more mature with very much more complex relationships. But once again, I feel like it's a good read to have as the sun is setting and I'm sitting on the balcony drinking a glass of wine with the waves just crashing by. I think it's gonna be a good, good setting for that. It feels deeper romance, emotional connection, and stories that stay with you. Now, once again, if you're building your summer romance shelf, here are a few books to add. Get a Life, Chloe Brown, and Take a Hint, Danny Brown from the Brown series. Ugh, I love these. They're so good and just classically funny but sweet at the same time. Gotta get them all. And uh I chose these because they balance fun, representation, and real emotional depth. Romance doesn't have to be shallow, it can be joyful and meaningful. This summer I'm allowing myself to enjoy things again, to read for joy, to feel without overthinking, and to be soft without apologizing for it. And I hope you give yourself that same permission. I'm Laura Ashley, and this episode was so lit.