My Travel = Booked

Travel to the Amalfi Coast in Rebecca Serle’s newest book, One Italian Summer. You can hear about Rebecca Serle’s own travels in the blog post she wrote for us, but this story of love, loss, and a mother-daughter relationship is a stunning and emotional read that you won’t be able to put down. In the wake of a woman’s loss of her mother, she goes on the vacation they were meant to have together, and in the process, she finds a younger version of her mother entirely different than the mother she knew. This beautiful read will linger in your mind long after you’ve finished reading, and it is the perfect book to take a trip to Italy with! 

Journey to Utah, specifically the Red Rock Canyons, in this delightful romance full of adventure and treasure hunting. Christina Lauren is known for their page-turning romances that captivate readers and their hearts, and this story is no exception. It follows Leo and Lily and their surprise second chance at love, and if you like stories of things going both horribly and hilariously wrong, vivid characters, and hiking, then this book is the perfect read full of survival and spice!  

This book is decidedly a romance, but even with its lack of comedy, it has my entire heart. Sail through the Caribbean alongside Anna and Keane, two struggling people trying to keep moving forward after their lives haven’t turned out the way they were expecting. Anna’s grieving, Keane’s trying to figure out what to do with his life, and together, the two start a new adventure when Anna realizes that she isn’t experienced enough to sail the trip on her own. I cried, I swooned, and I adored every minute of this book. 

I loved Lacie Waldon’s first book, The Layover, so when I found out that her next book would take me to South Africa, it immediately went on my TBR. It comes out mid-July, so if you want to travel with me on this adventure with a beloved group of college friends, then go ahead and preorder your copy of From the Jump! Its time is split between Los Angeles and South Africa and involves a friends-to-lovers romance that will charm the socks off you (just make sure you put them back on before you go through security). 

I’m taking you back to the Caribbean with this book, specifically to the island of Saba. Before you pick this book up, I need you to be forewarned that while there is a lot of romance with a few small moments of comedy, this is a book that will make you feel every single emotion possible. You will laugh, cry and swoon through this story of stepping out of comfort zones and the love of siblings. If you like traveling, adventure, and romance, then this book is one that simply belongs on your TBR! 

Let’s go to the Galápagos Islands with this super fun workplace romance perfect to dispel your bookish hangover after Meet Me in Paradise and give you a much more lighthearted adventure.  When Henley’s up for the promotion of her dreams after her workaholic tendencies, she’s delighted … except for the fact that the remote social media manager she considers her rival, Graeme, is also up for the promotion. When they’re sent on a company cruise together to see who can make the best proposal to boost bookings to the Galápagos, he’s nothing like she imagined. A fun story of new beginnings and chasing after dreams, Shipped promises to be an absolute delight! 

We’re headed back to Italy with this book, except this time we’re going to Tuscany! Lina’s spending the summer in Tuscany because her mother’s dying wish was for her to get to know her father, but she’s skeptical. When she’s given her mom’s old journal, she embarks on a new journey, and with self-discovery, family discoveries, and romance, this book is certain to delight and make you crave some gelato. And even better, it was recently adapted into a Netflix film and is part of a series, so, if you love it, there’s so much more to enjoy! 

Paris, ballet, and charming French boys? Count me in! First, before we even talk about this book, can we talk about the brilliance that is this cover? The vespa, the city’s skyline in its shadow, and the cursive lettering? It’s a masterpiece, and it matches the book so well! I had read an early copy of this book before it initially released, and I absolutely adore recommending it to people. There’s a family mystery, a ballet dancer (Mia) in Paris trying to fulfill her family’s legacy and dancing with her rival while also falling in love with a French boy. This book will capture your heart, and it will have you wishing you could eat all the food and be half as graceful as Mia.  

This one’s for my Princess Diaries fans! Travel to Japan with me in this fun and swoony romance about a girl who discovers that her dad is the Crown Prince of Japan. Izumi hasn’t ever felt like she fit in, and when she finds out she’s a princess, she travels to Japan to meet her father and discover Japan. In doing so, she realizes that there’s a lot more to being a princess than she ever dreamed, and she finds herself caught in a forbidden romance, trying to prove that she’s enough both in Japan and America, and navigating the complexities of the crown. A delightful story (and with a sequel out now), this book is the perfect read to travel through this summer! 

I don’t know about you, but I didn’t quite get enough of Paris, France, so we’re heading back with this delightful romance that takes an American and puts her at a boarding school in Paris. When Anna’s excitement for her senior year is dashed by her father sending her to boarding school, frankly, she’s not excited. But then she meets Étienne St. Clair. He’s perfect … except he’s taken. As they spend the year together in the same friend group, the two of them grow closer and have a year of romantic near-misses. In this will they or won’t they romance, prepare yourself for all the swoons! 

What do your next read, Big Ben, and this protagonist’s plans have in common? If you answered with “the city of London,” then you’d be correct! In this wonderful romance of exploration, travel, and first loves, Marty travels to London to pursue his dream job and explore his sexuality without worrying about his parents’ disapproval. While he’s having the time of his life, he’s also realizing that he can’t keep doing this for forever, especially since he hasn’t talked to his parents since he arrived, his anxiety and homesickness are only getting worse, and he’s been blowing through his savings. Travel with Marty and find out what he’s going to do! 

I’m not going to lie to you; this book is one of my personal favorites! A warm hug in book form, this story is one that will capture your heart and make you feel like all is right in the world. When Lila experiences what she calls a “trifecta” of loss, she falls apart a little, and her parents send her off to stay with family friends for the summer in Winchester, England where she meets Orion. Orion’s going through his own struggles, but he decides that he’s going to be her personal guide and make sure that she has fun while she’s there. With cardigans, teas, and delectable food descriptions, Laura Taylor Namey has crafted a summer story that can be enjoyed year-round! 

You don’t have to have read Happily Ever Afters to fully enjoy this story, BUT they do have character overlap, and I highly recommend that book (it will make you nose-crinklingly happy). BUT One True Loves is a joy of a book full of self-discovery, a main character who is a force to be reckoned with, and a Mediterranean cruise! So, pack your swimsuit and your sunscreen and join Lenore on a cruise full of adventure and the whirlwind romance she thought never happens to girls like her! 

Journey to Taiwan in this story of grief and love with elements of magic infused throughout. This book has stuck with me for years now, and it’s a beautiful book that will hit you right in your heart. It follows Leigh who is certain that after her mother’s death by suicide, she turned into a bird. So, when she travels to Taiwan to meet her maternal grandparents for the first time, she’s grieving, learning about her family and herself, and trying to reconcile the fact that she kissed her best friend and longtime crush while her mother was dying. This book is one you definitely won’t want to miss if you haven’t already read it!