7 Romance Thrillers That Will Bring the Suspense to Your Summer Reading List
Everyone’s TBR gets just a little bit bigger when the summer rolls around. With the warmer weather and planned vacations, readers are always on the hunt for their next page-turner.
If you’re looking for ideas, Swooon is on the case. We’re all book lovers here, and sometimes we’re looking for that perfect mix of romance and suspense. A thriller with a love story. Perhaps the main character walks straight into danger or chooses to hide secrets. For every adorable rom-com or spicy romantasy novel, you need a romantic thriller in your book pile.
Swooon has assembled a list of some of our favorite romance thriller books that will have you sitting in the same spot for hours because you simply can’t tear your eyes away. Who doesn’t love a little mystery with their romance? Scroll down to see our picks, and let us know if you’ve read any of them in the comments below.
The Good Girl
Mary Kubica
This isn’t just another Stockholm Syndrome story of a girl who falls in love with her kidnapper. Colin was supposed to turn Mia over to his boss after abducting her from a bar. Instead, he takes her to a secluded cabin in the woods, which is where they slowly start to bond over the course of a winter together—but it’s the twist at the very end that you’ll never see coming! — Alyssa Norwin
Missing White Woman
Kellye Garrett
Kellye Garrett never misses, but her most recent novel is a page-turner like no other. A romantic getaway gone horribly wrong, Missing White Woman follows Breanna and Ty, a Black couple who get caught in the center of social media’s scramble to solve the latest true crime scandal: the disappearance of Janelle Beckett. So gripping you’ll forget it’s fiction, Missing White Woman will have you questioning everything you know about true crime coverage. — Rebecca Perlmutter
The Arrangement
Kiersten Modglin
A couple’s marriage is at the center of this twisty novel. Ainsley and Peter agree to let each other date other people in hopes of fixing their marriage, but things quickly go awry when someone breaks the rules they agreed on. With a new shocking twist every few chapters, they have to decide just how far they’ll go for one another, and if their relationship is really worth fighting for. — Alyssa Norwin
We Were Liars
E. Lockhart
Cadence Sinclair has everything: A perfect family, a private island, and a fairytale summer romance. That is, until a mysterious accident changes everything. When Cady returns to the island, her cousins and longtime love, Gat (known by their family as the Liars), refuse to tell her about the tragedy that caused her sudden memory loss. A perfect mystery that you can read in one sitting, We Were Liars is the kind of book where lying about how it ends is half the fun. — Rebecca Perlmutter
All the Missing Girls
Megan Miranda
I’ve always been a sucker for small-town drama. Nicolette Farrell thought she left Cooley Ridge behind after the shocking disappearance of her best friend, Corinne, a decade earlier. But when she returns to take care of her ailing father, Corinne’s case is cracked wide open when another woman goes missing. Megan Miranda’s All the Missing Girls is told backwards, so each day unravels shocking truths and all of Nicolette’s complicated relationships, including Tyler, her first love. — Avery Thompson
In My Dreams I Hold a Knife
Ashley Winstead
College drama mixed with murder and a side of romantic complications? You had me at hello, Ashley Winstead. Jessica Miller thinks she’s prepared to return to Duquette University a decade after the shocking murder of her roommate, Heather Shelby. When she steps back on campus, buried secrets and feelings are unearthed among the six friends Jessica is inextricably linked to. In the midst of the shocking twists and juicy revelations, there’s a second-chance romance plot between Jessica and the reformed bad boy from her college days. Is this the one who got away, or the one who got away with… murder? — Avery Thompson
Verity
Colleen Hoover
It’s hard to believe there’s anyone out there who hasn’t read this one yet, and while it’s not a personal favorite, it’s the ultimate quick, twisty, summer read. Lowen is hired to help complete acclaimed author Verity Crawford’s books after she’s left incapacitated and unable to write. While combing through Verity’s notes, Lowen finds the author’s hidden autobiography with secrets Verity never intended to share. Amid her research, Lowen starts falling for Verity’s husband (bring on the romance), Peter, and has to decide whether she wants to share her findings with him.
Since Verity is being adapted into a movie that will hit theaters in May 2026, time is running out to read the Colleen Hoover novel before spoilers start flooding the internet – and you DON’T want this ending to be spoiled! — Alyssa Norwin
