Summer is coming up and I know Europe is the ultimate romanticized destination for a summer vacation. Below are some book recommendations to put you in the mood for a European summer.

Paris Letters by Janice Macleod

This is the book I am currently reading and I have really been enjoying it. It’s a travel memoir that follows a woman as she buys herself a sabbatical. As the title suggests, the book mostly takes place in Paris but she does travel to the UK and Italy as well.

The Jetsetters by Amanda Eyre Ward

This book follows an older woman as she submits and wins a trip through Europe. She takes her adult children with her on the trip as she hopes to reunite and reconnect with her estranged children. This book takes place in Greece, Italy, and Spain.

Love and Gelato by Jenna Evans Welch

This is the only YA book I have listed here. This book follows a teenage girl that travels to Italy to meet her father after her mother passes away. Things go south quickly as she uncovers some family skeletons. This book is incredibly endearing and sweet.

Our Italian Summer by Jennifer Probst

Our Italian Summer is about a mother, daughter, and granddaughter as they travel through Italy together trying to rebuild their relationships. They each battle their own personal obstacles too. I loved reading this book.

The Island of Missing Trees by Elif Shafak

I was on the fence on whether or not I should include this book. This book doesn’t exactly romanticize Europe. While the other books are mostly light hearted this one touches on more deeper subject matters. I decided to include it because it’s an incredibly beautifully written book and about half of the book takes place in Cyprus which is a little more off the beaten path European destination. The book jumps back and forth between two time periods, a young couple as they navigate forbidden love in a war torn country, and their future daughter as she tries to find her place in the world by untangling the web of secrets surrounding her family and her parents relationship.