Hot Summer

A guilty-pleasure dating show becomes the site of a sweet and hot queer love story in Everhart’s (Wanderlust) latest. Dating-app employee Cas Morgan ends up on a Love Island–esque show, Hot Summer, ostensibly to find romance; in actuality, Cas is on the show to give a boost to her employer and her career. This plan gets upended, though, when Cas meets fellow contestant Ada. Ada actually is on the show to find a meaningful relationship, which scares the commitment-averse Cas, but as she finds herself falling for Ada and becoming friends with fellow contestants, Cas’s motivations for staying on the show begin to change. The majority of the book takes place in the confines of the show, so while Cas and Ada’s slow-burn romance is an ever-present plotline, other over-the-top reality TV shenanigans take center stage at points, including increasingly ridiculous challenges, fighting between contestants, and one particularly awful guy. A cute secondary romance between two other contestants brings the warm fuzzies when things get serious, ensuring that the book never strays too far from its beach-read vibe.