Barnes & Noble Summer Reading Program Novels & Stories

A cabin by a lake for the summer with barely a soul in sight sounds like the perfect place to disappear to for eight weeks. Just me and my laptop, writing my next bestseller. Away from the city and the drama. My plans soon change on my first day here, all because of a handsome stranger who turns out not to be as much as a stranger as I thought. Sound's complicated, right? I didn't come here to get involved with anyone, the opposite really, but Kyson has a way to get to me easily, one which isn't so easy to fight especially when he is next door for the entire summer. I could resist, I should resist, but it is hard to fight chemistry, lust and connection, all things we seemed to share. I didn't think when I came here my summer would change everything and not all for the best.

In the scorching heat of a lakeside summer, Emma returns home to stay with her best friend Mia and unwittingly reignites a long-buried obsession with Mia’s older brother, Jake Harlan a notorious playboy who doesn’t believe in love. What begins as stolen glances and electric tension explodes into a forbidden, passionate affair. Jake, determined to prove he’s changed, surrenders to feelings he’s never known, while Emma risks her heart and her closest friendship for the man she’s secretly loved for years. But their bliss is threatened by Kayla, Jake’s unhinged ex, who has been stalking him for months. Armed with intimate photos and manipulated evidence, Kayla wages a vicious campaign of jealousy and revenge, determined to destroy the new couple and reclaim what she believes is hers. As secrets unravel, trust fractures, and danger escalates, Emma and Jake must confront Jake’s past, their deepest fears, and a stalker willing to cross every line. In a summer filled with raw desire, heartbreaking betrayal, and unrelenting obsession, they fight to protect their love or lose everything to forbidden sins.

Ren thinks summer season kept changing his life in more ways than one. Little did he know, there's still more in store for him.

To stop my boyfriend from marrying me, his mother hired a group of thugs to kidnap me. They dragged me into the woods and tortured me for an entire day and night, leaving barely a patch of uninjured skin on my body. Eden York lost his mind after finding me. He went after every single person involved and ruined them without hesitation, even personally sending his own mother to prison. He never once cared about what had happened to me. If anything, he became even more determined to marry me, willing to turn his back on his entire family to make it happen. But the moment I woke up in the hospital again, a cold mechanical voice suddenly echoed in my head. [Host, your target’s affection level has reached 100%. Final marriage mission unlocked.] [Complete the mission to receive a sixty-million-dollar reward. You may also choose whether to leave this world.] [Warning: If the mission fails, you will be permanently erased from this world.] I was still trying to process the words when Eden’s voice suddenly rang out in my mind. [Perfect. After everything I did with my mother to set this up, I finally maxed out her affection points.] [Once the final mission is complete, I’ll dump her immediately and be with Tiffany instead.] Beside me, Eden instantly noticed how pale I had gone and reached out to touch my face. “Summer, what’s wrong? Are you feeling sick?” I slowly shook my head. “No. I’m just really looking forward to the wedding in seven days.”

Joy, a young girl who longs for love and a stable home life, is at odds with her father and resentful of her new nanny. Beatrice, a kind-hearted university student seeking a summer job, steps in to care for Joy and brings a ray of hope to their household. But when Joy's estranged mother returns and Beatrice finds herself caught in a love triangle with George, Joy's father, and his best friend Joel, tensions rise and relationships are put to the test. As the secrets and betrayals come to light, Beatrice must decide if she can forgive and move forward, or if it's time to leave the past behind. "The Nanny's Summer" is a heartwarming story of family, love, and the power of forgiveness.

Zachary Smithson was my uncle in name. When I was seventeen, I confessed to him, but he rejected me fiercely. He tore up my love letter and told me to give up on such thoughts. When I was twenty-two, I graduated and attempted to move out. To my surprise, I found a dress I had lost. He had hidden it under his pillow.

D'Andre, heir to the Summerfield CEO, embarks on a soul-searching journey and escapes to the serene shores of El Nido for a summer retreat. There, he encounters Maiari, a captivating local, and their instant connection ignites a passionate summer romance. However, D'Andre's past resurfaces when he receives a message from Taylor, an ex-lover, forcing him to confront his emotions. As D'Andre navigates the complexities of his feelings, he also navigates his blossoming relationship with Catalina, a city girl, daughter of the Summerfield's President, his current girlfriend. The secret D'Andre conceals from Maiari and his misstep with Catalina, coupled with Taylor's hopeful desire for a second chance, are a truly dilemma. Amidst breathtaking landscapes and stolen moments, D'Andre's heart is torn between the memories of a passionate summer and the choices that await him back in the city.

My fated mate, Alpha Rylan, turned cold the moment our bond snapped into place. They all say I'm just a lowly omega. That I'm not good enough for him. I started to believe them. To think my wolf was broken. Maybe this wasn't a mate bond at all, just a pathetic crush. Then, on the day I finally decided to give up, a second wolf awakened in my mind: Echo. She screamed at me that Rylan craved me. That he loved me. And just like that, my hope was rekindled. He hurt me ninety-eight times in seven years. Seventy-seven of those were for his adopted sister, Morrigan. Each time, Echo insisted he just didn't know how to show his love. And favoring Morrigan? That was just to make me jealous. To see that I cared. But the ninety-ninth time was the last straw. He left me for dead in enemy territory. When I woke up, the gift he'd prepared for me was in Morrigan’s hands. I was done. Finally. I called the Elders with a single request: "I want to sever my bond with Alpha Rylan. I'm leaving. For good."

I plan on ordering some food using my husband's phone, yet I've noticed a remark that's been saved on the delivery app. "The food is for a pregnant lady. Please make sure to be hygienic and use less oil and salt when making the dishes." I can feel my heart sink. I turn my gaze toward the bathroom, where my husband is. I can't figure out why my husband, who's been firm about not wanting a child, has been ordering meals for pregnant women. After a moment of hesitation, I scroll through the delivery app's order history with shaky hands. Numerous orders have been placed with the same restaurant, one that specializes in making exquisite dishes designed for pregnant women. Each of these food orders costs more than ten thousand dollars. My husband's company address has been chosen as the delivery address, and he's also the recipient. … After exiting the delivery app, I sit on the couch and stare into space. As I look at my husband's well-defined muscles, I recall how he, who's about to hit 40, is suddenly quite invested in getting in shape over the past year. I blurt out asking, "Have you been ordering food to your office often lately?" My husband freezes for a split second. Then, he fixes me with a gentle gaze. "I do that once in a while. Why are you suddenly asking about that? By the way, I haven't had the sweet and sour meatballs you make in a long while. Can you make some for me so that I can bring them to the office for my lunch tomorrow?" I smile at him and agree to his request. Still, I toss and turn in bed as the remark about the pregnant lady in his phone keeps gnawing at me that night.

My entire family could hear my thoughts. In my previous life, I was switched at birth with Victoria Harrington. I was reunited with my family 18 years later. It was the early 1920s, when owning a bicycle or a radio was still rare for most families. I had always dreamed of having one of those precious things. However, after I came home, Victoria would constantly brag right in front of me. "Mom told me that I'm the only one who deserves this fancy watch," she said with a sweet smile. "And look at this gorgeous bicycle Dad got me for my birthday! Oh, and when I mentioned wanting a radio, Daniel bought it for me immediately." Then came the real knife twist. "I know you're their biological daughter, Bernice, but let's be honest. When it comes to love, I'm their real daughter. Daniel definitely prefers me as his little sister too." Her words ate at me. I could not stop the bitter thoughts that flooded my mind about my parents and brother. The problem was that my family could hear every single one of those thoughts. Slowly, they began to resent me. Eventually, they threw me out into the cold, and I died alone in the winter streets while Victoria lived happily within the warmth of their love. When I opened my eyes again, I realized that I had been reborn. As I watched Victoria putting on her usual show, my thoughts took a delicious turn. 'Victoria thinks that Mom is such a cheapskate for only buying her a cheap watch instead of something expensive. She even calls Dad stingy behind his back because he didn't get her a pricier bicycle.' 'And she constantly complains about how ugly and crude Daniel is, saying that he embarrasses her. I wonder if I should share these thoughts with my family?'