It’s time to look at what’s coming in June! Hooray! I have hunted through the internet for you all to gather a few delectable morsels of new releases for us to enjoy and devour. There are plenty of really unique and interesting stories about to hit the shelves, that’s for sure!
As always, this is not intended as a comprehensive list, but a list of the books I am personally looking forward to reading one day.
Jump to ⬇️
- Fantasy 🐉
- A Witch and Her Dragon
- The Sacred Scales
- Lady’s Knight
- A Forgery of Fate
- Heir of Storms
- Ever Blessed
- The Witch Roads
- Realm of Thieves
- Six Wild Crowns
- Bury Our Bones in the Midnight Soil
- Whisked Away
- Queen Mother
- Reignclowd Palace
- Cage of Starlight
- This Princess Kills Monsters
- A Far Better Thing
- A Magic Deep and Drowning
- A Treachery of Swans
- Seventhblade
- Wearing the Lion
- Sci-Fi 🚀
- Historical Fiction ⏳
- General Fiction 📖
- Romance / Contemporary ❣️
- Crime / Mystery 🔍
- Memoir ✍🏻
Fantasy 🐉
A Witch and Her Dragon
Emberly Wyndham
So I’m fairly certain this is going straight into 18+ spice territory (age range as per publisher recommendation). And I do think it sounds good – BUT – I also think it’s getting close to Twilight-predatory ‘claiming’ levels. So I guess we will have to read to find out.
About the book
His duty is to protect the princess, but his dragon’s desire to claim her is becoming impossible to ignore—and she’s about to uncover all the fiery secrets he’s been hiding.
Alina Ravenscroft has a plan: graduate from Coven Crest Academy, master her magic, and join the king’s powerful coven of witches. The only problem? The king is her grandfather, and he insists she can’t attend without a knight by her side. A bodyguard. A babysitter.
Raelan Ashvale is one of the king’s elite knights—and a dragon shifter, though only the king knows the truth. Raelan is assigned as Princess Alina’s personal guard. But there’s a Alina is Raelan’s fated mate, and for the past three years, he’s been doing everything he can to ignore the overwhelming pull between them, the searing need to claim her and make her his own. He can’t afford to give in to his desire for her—especially when revealing the secret of his dragon could risk everything for Raelan and his family.
As Alina and Raelan are forced to spend more time together, the growing tension between them becomes impossible to ignore. Raelan has a duty to the king, to his family, and to his secret. But when danger draws closer and threats to Alina’s safety become all too real, Raelan will have to confront the dangerous truths about his dragon—and the powerful connection he shares with the princess.
The Sacred Scales
Bryan Davis
Though this may be middle grade, it’s the Arthurian legend retold/reimagined but with DRAGONS. Well, I mean I guess if you’ve seen the Merlin TV series that doesn’t seem that outrageous. And to be fair, the presence of some sort of dragon or loch ness monster in The Mists of Avalon exists. BUT STILL.
About the book
In King Arthur’s Camelot where dragons are outlawed, a poor apprentice boy and a dragon-raised orphan girl unravel an evil plot to exterminate dragons from this world and the next.
Hawk spends his days trying to survive as a lowly apprentice in the harsh employ of Master Andrew—a sly shopkeeper making illegal bargains with dragons. But when Master Andrew is hired by Lady Morgan to cheat the dragon Clefspeare out of his promised gemstone payment, Hawk’s faith in God spurs him to action.
Sabina hasn’t had contact with humans in years, not since the kind-hearted dragon Legossi rescued her from the ruins of her burned village. But the forest is no place for a young girl to come of age, so Legossi agrees to have a knight take Sabina to Lady Morgan’s estate. Yet Sabina quickly realizes Lady Morgan has a sinister scheme to wipe out dragons in this realm and beyond. Can Hawk and Sabina warn the dragons and foil Lady Morgan’s plans before it’s too late?
Lady’s Knight
Amie Kaufman & Meagan Spooner
Literally everything about this sounds hilarious and I need it now. Plus it’s a Kaufman + Spooner, so, obviously we were all going to buy it anyway.
About the book
An undeniably fierce, unforgettably funny, unapologetically queer feminist romp through the England of medieval legend. Bestselling and acclaimed authors Amie Kaufman and Meagan Spooner bring readers along on an epic quest for valor, freedom, and, above all, love. A Knight’s Tale meets the Lady Jane series, with a dash of The Great!
Gwen is sick of hiding—hiding the fact that she’s taken over her father’s blacksmithing duties, hiding her attraction to girls, hiding her yearning for glory as a knight.
Meanwhile, Lady Isobelle of Avington, queen bee of the castle, has never once considered hiding who she is—until now. She’s been chosen as the grand prize in the Tournament of Dragonslayers, to be given to whichever knight can claim her hand. And for the first time in her life, she can’t talk her way out of trouble.
When Isobelle discovers Gwen’s knightly ambitions, they hatch a scheme together—Gwen will joust in the tournament, disguised as Sir Gawain. Winning means freedom for Isobelle, and glory for Gwen. Losing means… well, let’s not go there.
One thing’s for sure: falling in love was never the plan.
But the best laid plans…are often trampled all over by dragons.
A Forgery of Fate
Elizabeth Lim
When Elizabeth Lim releases a new book, there is nothing to do but buy and read. Plus her covers are always fabulous.
About the book
A breathtaking romantic fantasy inspired by Beauty and the Beast about a girl who paints the future and a cursed dragon lord, bound by love and deception in a plot to bring down the gods.
From the New York Times bestselling author of Six Crimson Cranes!Truyan Saigas didn’t choose to become a con artist, but after her father is lost at sea, it’s up to her to support her mother and two younger sisters. A gifted art forger, Tru has the unique ability to paint the future, but even such magic is not enough to put her family back together again, or stave off the gangsters demanding payment in blood for her mother’s gambling debts.
Left with few options, Tru agrees to a marriage contract with a mysterious dragon lord. He offers a fresh start for her mother and sisters and elusive answers about her father’s disappearance, but in exchange, she must join him in his desolate undersea palace. And she must assist him in a plot to infiltrate the tyrannical Dragon King’s inner circle, painting a future so treasonous, it could upend both the mortal and immortal realms. . .
Heir of Storms
Lauryn Hamilton Murray
Loving the cover, loving the description (Red Queen meets Shadow and Bone), need it now. It sounds super dramatic, and I’m always a sucker for a main character who is born with a power that’s totally unwieldy and always a problem.
About the book
Red Queen meets Shadow and Bone in this explosive start to a YA romantasy trilogy about dangerous magic, forbidden love, and a cut-throat competition for the throne in an empire where crowns are not inherited — they’re won.
The very day Blaze came into the world, she almost drowned it. A Rain Singer born into one of the most powerful fire-wielding families in the empire, Blaze’s birth summoned a devastating storm that left thousands dead. She’s been hidden away ever since with a dark the same torrential power that branded her an outcast disappeared that fateful day. And she’s not sure she wants it back.When an unexpected invitation arrives for Blaze and her twin brother, Flint, to compete as future rulers of the empire, she’s suddenly thrust into the limelight again — and into battle. Threats abound at the Golden Palace, where intrigue and romance await with not one but two handsome the enchanting Crown Prince and a dangerously alluring newcomer at court.
As Blaze explores her untapped power, she discovers the throne may be within her grasp. But in order to take it, she’ll have to leave behind the stories that others have told about her, and find the courage to write her own.
Ever Blessed
Olivia O’Flynn
This just sounds so up my ally. Failing magic + gods + gifted mortals = yes please. Do I also need to point out how utterly stunning the cover is?
About the book
She was made of magic and wrath …
In a world fractured by belief, the ruling gods lay claim to Ever – the ancient magic that sustains the lands. But the Ever is failing, and the gods have turned their wrath on the Ever Blessed, the mortals gifted with access to its deteriorating power. Wars rage, the land withers under an unyielding blight, and the witches cower behind weakening shields … all while the gods revel in chaos from their isle of luxury.
Captain Elva, warrior princess of Vettona, appears to be the kingdom’s last hope for peace. Promised in marriage to the handsome yet infuriating Fynton, heir to the throne of rival Clochain, she must navigate a fragile alliance and her increasing feelings for the one man she cannot trust. But can the two stop fighting long enough to see eye to eye?
Meanwhile, Innes, a witch desperate to conceal her bond with Ever, embarks on a perilous quest to cure the blight. But her path collides with a deadly Vettonian warrior, forcing her to choose between a dangerous love and the salvation of her people.
As ancient powers awaken and allegiances crumble, Elva and Innes must decide where their loyalties lie – love or fidelity, freedom or fate – because the wrong choice means losing everything to the vengeance of the gods.
The Witch Roads
Kate Elliott
I have at least one Kate Elliott already on my shelves, so this makes me extra motivated to actually tuck into one of her previous publications.
Doesn’t this just have the most gorgeous cover? Plus, it’s an absolute classic trope of an arrogant prince being guarded and guided on a mission by an unwilling subject, who he absolutely doesn’t listen to. Hands up if you know how this is ending!
About the book
Status is hereditary, class is bestowed, trust must be earned.
When an arrogant prince (and his equally arrogant entourage) gets stuck in Orledder Halt as part of brutal political intrigue, competent and sunny deputy courier Elen―once a child slave meant to shield noblemen from the poisonous Pall―is assigned to guide him through the hills to reach his destination.
When she warns him not to enter the haunted Spires, the prince doesn’t heed her advice, and the man who emerges from the towers isn’t the same man who entered.
The journey that follows is fraught with danger. Can a group taught to ignore and despise the lower classes survive with a mere deputy courier as their guide?
The Witch Roads is the latest epic novel by fan favorite, Kate Elliott.
Realm of Thieves
Karina Halle
Two thieves vying for dominance in an illegal dragon-egg trade? Say no more. This is hardcore on my to-buy list. More tragically, however, I believe this isn’t being released until September in Australia – but ah well, we can enjoy the beauty of the cover for now seeing as the US is getting it in June.
About the book
Two thieves vie for dominance in the illegal dragon egg trade, putting both their lives and their hearts on the line in this scorching romantasy from New York Times bestselling author Karina Halle.
For Brynla Aihr, crime and survival have always gone hand in hand. Ever since she escaped the fanatical dragon-worshipping cult that controls her homeland, she’s had to carve out a life doing the stealing dragon eggs. Egg theft is illegal and, in most cases, fatal. To breach a dragon’s nest means a harrowing journey through the ancient wards spelled to keep the monstrous beasts confined. Dragons can’t get out and only those with a death wish can get in.
Despite the risks, dragon eggs are highly coveted for their magic. A black market flourishes under competing criminal empires, and Brynla’s loyalty has always been to the highest bidder. Until she finds herself kidnapped and blackmailed by Lord Andor, a formidable lieutenant of House Kolbeck, and thrust into the dangerous political games of rivaling dynasties.
Brynla and Andor clash at every turn, sparking heat in ways Brynla’s never felt before. But in a world that’s prophesized to return to the dragons, and rife with betrayal and secrets at every turn…how close to the flames is she willing to stand?
Six Wild Crowns
Holly Race
This one had me at dragons. The setting? Court + women + Tudor vibes. And dragons, did I mention? Deliver me the line ‘Henry VIII had it coming’ (and mention dragons), and you’ll have a pre-order out of me.
About the book
NO KING CAN RULE THEM.
Six Wild Crowns is an epic and compelling fantasy filled with dragons, courtly intrigue, sapphic yearning and brave women. This is the Tudor queens as you’ve never seen them before. . . Henry VIII had it coming.
As tradition has it, the king of Elben must marry six queens and magically bind each of them to one of the island’s palaces or the kingdom will fall.Clever, ambitious Boleyn is determined to be her beloved Henry’s favourite queen. She relishes the games at court and the political rivalries with his other wives. Seymour is the opposite – originally sent to Boleyn’s court by another queen as a reluctant spy and assassin, she ends up catching Henry’s eye and is forced into a loveless marriage with the king.
But when the two queens become the unlikeliest of things – friends and allies – the balance of power begins to shift. Together, they uncover a dark and deadly truth at the heart of the island’s magic. Boleyn and Seymour’s only hope of survival rests on uniting all six of the rival queens – but Henry will never let that happen.
Bury Our Bones in the Midnight Soil
Victoria Schwab
Are vampires making one heck of a comeback recently or what?! I’m definitely so ready for the queen herself, Schwab, to tackle this paranormal delight. Schwab has yet to fail me, so I’m really looking forward to this!
About the book
This is a story about hunger.
1532. Santo Domingo de la Calzada.
A young girl grows up wild and wily—her beauty is only outmatched by her dreams of escape. But María knows she can only ever be a prize, or a pawn, in the games played by men. When an alluring stranger offers an alternate path, María makes a desperate choice. She vows to have no regrets.This is a story about love.
1827. London.
A young woman lives an idyllic but cloistered life on her family’s estate, until a moment of forbidden intimacy sees her shipped off to London. Charlotte’s tender heart and seemingly impossible wishes are swept away by an invitation from a beautiful widow—but the price of freedom is higher than she could have imagined.This is a story about rage.
2019. Boston.
College was supposed to be her chance to be someone new. That’s why Alice moved halfway across the world, leaving her old life behind. But after an out-of-character one-night stand leaves her questioning her past, her present, and her future, Alice throws herself into the hunt for answers . . . and revenge.This is a story about life—
how it ends, and how it starts.Whisked Away
Enola M. Douglas
Would anyone be at all surprised if I admitted I’m 90% here for the cover? I think this sounds epic and magic-y, but it’s also branded as a ‘why-choose’ (there two half-brothers involved) and I have to say, that is not usually my bag. But who knows, may this will be good?
About the book
Escape doesn’t always mean freedom…
When Princess Reiyana unexpectedly presents as an Omega at age twenty, her future is no longer her own. Once a Beta with dreams of love and adventure, she is now a political prize—coveted by Alphas across the Nine Kingdoms.
But two half-brothers change everything.
Prince Kaelendrin and Prince Alarik of Asadia enter the royal tournament to claim her hand. Their strength and charm awaken something forbidden within Reiyana, unraveling not only her carefully guarded heart but also the beliefs she’s clung to her entire life.
Determined to reclaim control of her fate, Reiyana plots her escape. But betrayal leaves her stranded in a world where power is reserved for the chosen few—and no position is more perilous than that of an Omega. Now, she must navigate dangerous alliances, confront hidden truths, and embrace the desires she’s long denied—before her destiny is decided for her.
Queen Mother
Jeff Wheeler
A new Jeff Wheeler is always an exciting thing! I won’t introduce this one, if you’re a Wheeler fan/interested, I’ll leave you to cosy up with the blurb below.
About the book
Deep in the mountains lies a valley with a secret to immortality—Clairvaux—where the Queen Mother reigns supreme. Hidden within the cliffs and rocky paths and shrouded by waterfalls, the Gallows Tree grows immortal fruit, but only the loyal angel sworn can partake and live forever, weaving magic with grafting wands and bonding to animals in order to borrow their powers while balancing the good in all living things.
But the idyllic hymns of angelic choirs shatter when death comes to Clairvaux. Bodies, strewn and ravaged by claws, whisper of a nameless evil threatening the angel sworn and all earthborn. Might Cimree, a young healer in training, hold the key to unraveling the mystery that menaces Clairvaux and the distant bastions it protects? And could a fallen angel held captive deep in the dungeons of Montheron have the answers Cimree seeks? Or will a new magic that transforms animals into monsters force an exodus to a safe haven before all is lost?
Reignclowd Palace
Philippa Rice
This has such a gentle and soothing cover *feels relaxed*. It’s also described in a way that makes me feel welcomed to pick it up and sink heavily into the beauty and quaintness of a fantasy world. It’s a cosy fantasy tale of a magical crafter!
About the book
Evnie Treedle makes magical things and for the last few years she has been selling them in magical knickknacks shop, the Magpie Nest.
But everything changes when one day Evnie’s crafting abilities catch the attention of the nearby Reignclowd Palace. She is asked to become their resident spellsmith… the original spellsmith suddenly ill under mysterious circumstances.
Evnie is soon put to work making and mending magical objects. Yet, problems start to appear when she realises there’s much more at stake than friendship or romance; a dragon looms over the kingdom looking for a soul to devour, and it’s eyes are set on their princess.
Cage of Starlight
Jules Arbeaux
This was one of those blurbs that had me so-so about the book, until I read this: A grumpy healer must work with his captor when a mission strands them in enemy territory in this action-packed, queer romantic fantasy by the author of Lord of the Empty Isles.
What is it about the reluctant grump trope that is just so irresistible?
About the book
Don’t make waves, don’t get attached, and never let anyone see the tattoos.
Those rules have kept Tory Arknett alive, alone, and on the run for years in a country eager to put his healing hands to the work of war. When a desperate display of magic outs him to the authorities, Tory flees—right into the hands of cold and competent Sena Vantaras.
Caged in a cruel training facility and threatened with placement on the front lines of a brutal war, Tory needs to get out before he gets dead.
There’s just one thing to do before he goes: make Sena pay.
But when a mission strands them in enemy territory, they’ll have to work together to survive. As they learn more about each other and the myth behind the magic that connects them, Tory and Sena find belonging with each other. But the trackers the facility has implanted in them will kill them in three days if they don’t go back. Soon, Tory and Sena face a desperate decision: their freedom, or their lives?
This Princess Kills Monsters
Ry Herman
I love the way this is described as the princess having ‘mostly useless’ magical powers, and that she’s taking on monsters. This is surely setting us up for a good time.
Also, cover appreciation time, no? Loving those watercolour-y vibes.
About the book
A princess with a mostly useless magical talent takes on horrible monsters, a dozen identical masked heroes, and a talking lion in a quest to save a kingdom—and herself—in this affectionate satire of the Grimm Brothers’ fairy tale The Twelve Huntsmen.
Someone wants to murder Princess Melilot. This is sadly normal.
Melilot is sick of being ordered to go on dangerous quests by her domineering stepmother. Especially since she always winds up needing to be rescued by her more magically talented stepsisters. And now, she’s been commanded to marry a king she’s never met.
When hideous spider-wolves attack her on the journey to meet her husband-to-be, she is once again rescued—but this time, by twelve eerily similar-looking masked huntsmen. Soon, she has to contend with near-constant attempts on her life, a talking lion that sets bewildering gender tests, and a king who can’t recognize his true love when she puts on a pair of trousers. And all the while, she has to fight her growing attraction to not only one of the huntsmen, but also her fiancé’s extremely attractive sister.
If Melilot can’t unravel the mysteries and rescue herself from peril, kingdoms will fall. Worse, she could end up married to someone she doesn’t love.
A Far Better Thing
H.G. Parry
This has an incredibly unique tagline that describes it as Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell meets A Tale of Two Cities, plus the fact that it’s a faery revenge story set during the French Revolution. Like WOAH. Okay. Clearly we need this in our lives?!
About the book
H. G. Parry’s A Far Better Thing is a standalone, portal fantasy where Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell meets A Tale of Two Cities in a heart-rending fantasy of faery revenge set during the French Revolution.
I feared this was the best of times; I hoped it could not get any worse.
The fairies stole Sydney Carton as a child, and made him a mortal servant of the Faerie Realm. Now, he has a rare opportunity for revenge against the fae and Charles Darnay, the changeling left in his stead.
It will take magic and cunning—cold iron and Realm silver—to hide his intentions from humans and fae and bring his plans to fruition.
Shuttling between London and Paris during the Reign of Terror, generations of violence-begetting-violence lead him to a heartbreaking choice in the shadow of the guillotine.
A Magic Deep and Drowning
Hester Fox
This sounds super interesting. The setting of Holland and the time of 1650 has me very intrigued (it’s a Little Mermaid retelling!!) It sounds like we’ll have a female protagonist who’s not interested in causing trouble, but trouble finds her anyway. Starting with the presence of an ill whale.
About the book
Holland, 1650. One fine spring day in Friesland, twenty-year-old Clara van Weiren is faced with an ill a whale, beached and rotting in the noonday sun. But Clara doesn’t believe in magic and superstition, and this portent is quickly dismissed when a proposal from a wealthy merchant arrives, promising Clara the freedom she seeks from her mother’s overbearing rule.
When her attempts at overseeing the household at the family’s estate lead to her chance encounter with a young man with russet hair and sparkling eyes the color of the sea, she finds herself strangely drawn to him. As Clara grows closer to Maurits, she must choose between the steady, gentle life she has been raised for and the man who makes her blood sing.
But Maurits isn’t who he seems to be, and his secrets, once hidden beneath the waves, threaten to rise up and drown them both. And when an ancient bargain, forged in blood between the mythical people of the sea and the rulers of the land, begins to unravel, Clara finds herself at the heart of a deadly struggle for power.
A Treachery of Swans
A.B. Poranek
Okay, I don’t love the cover AT ALL for this one (though I think there is a nicer alternative). But, there is just something about this that has me intrigued. I don’t know much about Swan Lake (of which it’s a retelling) but it seems dark and moody. And there’s always room in our lives for dark and moody.
About the book
An enthralling sapphic retelling of Swan Lake, for fans of Allison Saft and V.E Schwab.
Magic has long been outlawed in Auréal . Odile has always known she’d be the one to restore it.
Raised by a sorcerer, Odile has spent years preparing for the heist of a lifetime. It’s perfectly simple. Impersonate a princess, infiltrate the palace, steal the king’s enchanted crown and restore magic to the kingdom.
But when the King is unexpectedly murdered, she’s forced to recruit the help of Marie d’Odette, the real princess, and the two begin to unravel a web of lies and deceit that leaves Odile uncertain of who to trust.
Soon though Odile must decide – her mission or the girl she’s falling for?
The fate of the Kingdom depends on her making the right choice. . .
Seventhblade
Tonia Laird
Okay this is a kind of sub-genre fantasy I haven’t really read much of before. It’s anti-colonial, something I’ve seen explored a fair amount in Sci-Fi, but this is really exciting and interesting to do in a fantasy setting.
About the book
For readers of N.K. Jemisin and Rebecca Roanhorse, a fast-paced, anti-colonial action-adventure fantasy that explores twisted power dynamics and the effects of settler colonialism.
After the murder of T’Rayles’s adopted son, the infamous warrior and daughter of the Indigenous Ibinnas returns to the colonized city of Seventhblade, ready to tear the streets asunder in search of her son’s killer. T’Rayles must lean into the dangerous power of her inherited sword and ally herself with questionable forces, including the Broken Fangs, an alliance her mother founded, now fallen into greed and corruption, and the immortal Elraiche, a powerful and manipulative deity exiled from a faraway land. Navigating the power shifts in a colonized city on the edge and contending with a deadly new power emerging from within, T’Rayles must risk everything to find the answers, and the justice, she so desperately desires.
Loaded with complex characters and intricately staged action, and set in a fragmented, fascinating world of dangerous magics and cryptic gods, Seventhblade is a masterful new fantasy adventure from a bright, emerging Indigenous voice.
Wearing the Lion
John Wiswell
You can’t expect me to go past a lovely cover like that! This is a retelling of the Heracles (Hercules) myth, and it sounds like it will be more literary than most, but I’m definitely still interested. Plus, it’s promising to make us see this myth like never before and change our perspectives! Big promises!!
About the book
Heracles, hero of Greece, dedicates all his feats to Hera, goddess of family. Heracles’ mother raised himto revere Hera, as her attempt to avoid the goddess’ wrath. Unbeknownst to Heracles, he is yet another child Hera’s husband, Zeus, had out of wedlock.
Hera loathes every minute of Heracles’ devotion. She finally snaps and sends the Furies to make Heracles kill himself. But the moment Heracles goes mad, his children playfully ambush him, and he slays them instead. When the madness fades, Heracles’s wife, Megara, convinces him to seek revenge. Together they’ll hunt the Furies and learn which god did this.
Believing Hera is the only god he can still trust, Heracles prays to Hera, who is wracked with guilt over killing his children. To mislead Heracles, Hera sends him on monster-slaying quests, but he is too traumatized to enact more violence. Instead, Heracles cares for the Nemean lion, cures the illness of the Lernaean hydra, and bonds with Crete’s giant bull.
Hera struggles with her role in Heracles life as Heracles begins to heal psychologically by connecting with the monsters—while also amassing an army that could lay siege to Olympos.
Nebula Award-winning author John Wiswell brings his signature humanizing touch to the Hercules story, forever changing the way we understand the man behind the myth—and the goddess reluctantly bound to him.
Sci-Fi 🚀
Cosmic Love at the Multiverse Hair Salon
Annie Mare
This one sounds so intriguing. It starts off much like any other ‘chick lit’ with a less-than-satisfied-with-her-life woman, except she stumbles across the existence of the multiverse when meeting up on a date. And the whole book revolves around her finding out she goes missing in 5 months … and whether there’s anything she can do to change the outcome.
About the book
A multiverse novel about two women who fall in love despite living in worlds that are five months apart, as they try to find a timeline that doesn’t end in disaster, in this debut novel by Annie Mare.
Tressa Fay Robeson has never been shy, which is how she’s made a name for herself as an in-demand hairstylist and social media star. So she can admit that spending her days at her hair salon and her nights with her tight-knit group of friends (and one grumpy cat) is not the kind of exciting life she’d hoped for.
When a misdirected text from a stranger leads to a flirty exchange, she surprises herself by suggesting an impulsive meetup. But the woman, Meryl, never shows. Tressa Fay brushes it off—until Meryl’s sister and friend show up at the salon demanding to know what’s going on. Because, you see, there’s no way Meryl could have texted her. Meryl has been missing for a month.
Tressa Fay and her tight-knit group of friends soon discover they aren’t dealing with a catfish, but a temporal paradox. As they come to terms with the idea of parallel universes, they realize how many times their paths have crossed like this before. But even as they understand the multiverse more and more, nothing keeps Meryl from vanishing.
As it draws closer to the moment of Meryl’s disappearance, there’s only one question Have they done enough to change the outcome, or have they done so much that none of them will make it past that fateful day in September?
Of Monsters and Mainframes
Barbara Truelove
Okay I seriously love the sound of this. We’ve got a space opera of sorts, where the ships are sentient and when one of the ship’s passengers start dying, she (the ship) is set out on a revenge path to catch the culprit (and avoid decommissioning!!) Her crew is comprised of a werewolf, an engineer built from the dead, a Pharaoh and a vampire. Also spider drones. Just read the blurb, this sounds hilarious.
About the book
Spaceships aren’t programmed to seek revenge—but for Dracula, Demeter will make an exception.
Demeter just wants to do her job: shuttling humans between Earth and Alpha Centauri. Unfortunately, her passengers keep dying—and not from equipment failures, as her AI medical system, Steward, would have her believe. These are paranormal murders, and they began when one nasty, ancient vampire decided to board Demeter and kill all her humans.
To keep from getting decommissioned, Demeter must join forces with her own team: A werewolf. An engineer built from the dead. A pharaoh with otherworldly powers. A vampire with a grudge. A fleet of cheerful spider drones. Together, this motley crew will face down the ultimate evil—Dracula.
The queer love child of pulp horror and classic sci-fi, Of Monsters and Mainframes is a dazzling, heartfelt odyssey that probes what it means to be one of society’s monsters—and explores the many types of friendship that make us human.
Historical Fiction ⏳
The Fire Concerto
Sarah Landenwich
I’m classifying this as feminist historical fiction as it’s exploring a niche bit of history and asks question that could reframe the way a woman was painted by history (not literally). #Slay the historic ‘hysterical female’ label!
About the book
A beautifully written, evocative literary page-turner about a brilliant female musician lost to history and another woman’s quest to ensure she is not forgotten—with a shocking twist of a finale.
Clara Bishop hasn’t touched a piano since a concert hall fire nearly took her life a decade ago, ending her career as a rising star in the world of classical music. Significantly scarred and unable to play, she has turned away from everything and everyone associated with music, especially her ruthless mentor Madame, whom Clara blames for her injuries.
Her life is upended when Madame dies, leaving Clara an unexpected inheritance: an ornate nineteenth-century metronome with a cryptic message hidden inside. Convinced this is not a gift but a puzzle Madame wants her to solve, Clara comes to suspect that the unusual bequest is the long-lost metronome of the composer Aleksander Starza—a priceless object missing since 1885, when Starza was murdered by the brilliant female pianist Constantia Pleyel.
As Clara works to uncover the metronome’s haunted past and protect it—and herself—from those who wish to obtain it, she discovers that nothing about Starza and his murder are what they seem. History has remembered Constantia Pleyel as an unstable artist who killed Starza in a fit of madness. The truth could rewrite the history of music—and give Clara the second chance she has been longing for.
General Fiction 📖
Endling
Maria Reva
I don’t usually read oodles of general fiction, but when I started reading the blurb for this one, it really caught my attention. Set in Ukraine in 2022, it immediately made me go, oh! And following with such a series of unusual plot lines (rare snail breeding, marriage scams) that culminate in Russia’s invasion, it made me go, okay, I think I need to read this.
About the book
Ukraine, 2022. Yeva is a loner and a maverick biologist who lives out of her mobile lab. She scours the country’s forests and valleys, trying and failing to breed rare snails while her relatives urge her to give up, settle down, and start a family. What they don’t know: Yeva already dates plenty of men—not for love, but to fund her work—entertaining Westerners who come to Ukraine on guided romance tours believing they’ll find docile brides uninfluenced by feminism and modernity.
Nastia and her sister Solomiya are also entangled in the booming marriage industry, posing as a hopeful bride and her translator while secretly searching for their missing mother—a flamboyant protestor who vanished after years of fierce activism against the romance tours. So begins a journey of a lifetime across hundreds of miles: three angry women, a truckful of kidnapped bachelors, and Lefty, a last-of-his-kind snail with one final shot at perpetuating his species. But their plans come to a screeching halt as Russia invades.
Romance / Contemporary ❣️
Battle of the Bookstores
Ali Brady
I’m sure you can’t look me in the eye and say you’re not a sucker for books about books. I am no different. This just sounds innocent and fun – a rivalry between competing bookstore managers? Sure to end in an adorable romance, no?
About the book
Rivalry and romance spark when two bookstore managers who are opposites in every way find themselves competing for the same promotion.
Despite managing bookstores on the same Boston street, Josie Klein and Ryan Lawson have never interacted much—Josie’s store focuses on serious literature, and Ryan’s sells romance only. But when the new owner of both stores decides to combine them, the two are thrust into direct competition. Only one manager will be left standing, decided by who turns the most profit over the summer.
Efficient and detail-oriented Josie instantly clashes with easygoing and disorganized Ryan. Their competing events and contrasting styles lead to more than just frustration—the sparks between them might just set the whole store on fire. Their only solace during this chaos is the friendship they’ve each struck up with an anonymous friend in an online book forum. Little do they know they’re actually chatting with each other.
As their rivalry heats up in real life, their online relationship grows, and when the walls between their stores come tumbling down, Josie and Ryan realize not all’s fair in love and war. And maybe, if they’re lucky, happily ever afters aren’t just for the books.
The Other Side of Now
Paige Harbison
I really like the sound of this one! (And the cover!!) It’s all about a secretly unhappy woman who books a trip to Ireland (excellent mid-life crisis plan, IMO) but ends up slipping into some sort of parallel world while she’s there – one where she gets the chance to maybe right a few wrongs. Who doesn’t love that kind of story!?
About the book
A hilarious and heartfelt novel about how loves and lives are never truly lost, for fans of Rebecca Serle and Taylor Jenkins Reid.
With a leading role on a hit TV show and a relationship with Hollywood’s latest heartthrob, Meg Bryan appears to have everything she ever wanted. But underneath the layers of makeup and hairspray, her happiness is as fake as her stage name, Lana Lord. Following a small breakdown at her thirtieth birthday party, she books an impromptu trip where she knows the grass is greener: Ireland. Specifically, the quaint little village where she and her best friend Aimee always dreamt of moving—a dream that fell apart when an accident claimed Aimee’s life a decade ago.
When Meg arrives, the people in town are so nice, treating her not as a stranger, but a friend. Except for the (extremely hot) bartender giving her the cold shoulder. Meg writes it all off as jetlag until she looks in the mirror. Her hair is no longer bleached within an inch of its life, her skin has a few natural fine lines, and her nose looks like… well, her old nose. Her real nose.
Her phone reveals hundreds of pictures of her life in this little town: with an adorable dog she doesn’t know; with the bartender who might be her (ex?) boyfriend; and at a retail job unrelated to acting. Eventually, she comes to accept that she somehow made a quantum slide into an alternate version of her life. But the most shocking realization of all? In this life, her best friend Aimee is alive and well…but wants nothing to do with Meg.
Despite her bewilderment, Meg is clear-eyed about one thing: this is a once-in-a-lifetime chance to reconnect with her friend and repair what she broke. She finagles an opportunity to act in the play Aimee is writing and directing and as the project unfolds, Meg realizes that events as she remembers them may not be the only truth, and that an impossible choice looms before her.
Crime / Mystery 🔍
With a Vengeance
Riley Sager
I blame Agatha Christie for my never-ending obsession with murder mysteries set on trains. It seems impossible that they could keep being original and entertaining, and yet, they are. This one is historical fiction, too, set in 1942. And someone lures a bunch of people on the train for revenge, except a murder happens before she can get her own plan into action. Ooooh! So there for that, you’d be so mad!
About the book
In 1942, six people destroyed Anna Matheson’s family. Twelve years later, she’s ready for retribution.
Under false pretenses, Anna has lured those responsible for her family’s downfall onto a luxury train from Philadelphia to Chicago, an overnight journey of fourteen hours. Her goal? Confront the people who’ve wronged her, get them to confess their crimes, and deliver them into the hands of authorities waiting at the end of the line. Justice will at last be served.
But Anna’s plan is quickly derailed by the murder of one of the passengers. As the train barrels through the night, it becomes clear that someone else on board is enacting their own form of revenge—and that they won’t stop until everyone else is dead.
With time running out before the train reaches its destination, Anna is forced to hunt the killer in their midst while protecting the people she hates the most. In order to destroy her enemies, she must first save them—even though it means putting her own life at risk.
Welcome to Murder Week
Karen Dukess
It took me a couple of attempts to put this one on my list, I won’t lie. The blurb (at least on Goodreads) is so damn long! But anyway, this is all about a daughter who goes on a murder mystery trip her mum had planned (she’s taking her mum’s place after her mum passes away prior to the trip). It all sounds very quaint and adorable, and I think will ultimately be a tale of self-discovery.
About the book
When thirty-four-year-old Cath loses her mostly absentee mother, she is ambivalent. With days of quiet, unassuming routine in Buffalo, New York, Cath consciously avoids the impulsive, thrill-seeking lifestyle that her mother once led. But when she’s forced to go through her mother’s things one afternoon, Cath is perplexed to find tickets for an upcoming “murder week” in England’s Peak. A whole town has come together to stage a fake murder mystery to attract tourism to their quaint hamlet. Baffled but helplessly intrigued by her mother’s secret purchase, Cath decides to go on the trip herself—and begins a journey she never could have anticipated.
Teaming up with her two cottage-mates, both ardent mystery lovers—Wyatt Green, forty, who works unhappily in his husband’s birding store, and Amity Clark, fifty, a divorced romance writer struggling with her novels—Cath sets about solving the “crime” and begins to unravel shocking truths about her mother along the way. Amidst a fling—or something more—with the handsome local maker of artisanal gin, Cath and her irresistibly charming fellow sleuths will find this week of fake murder may help them face up to a very real crossroads in their own lives.
Witty, wise, and deliciously escapist, Welcome to Murder Week is a fresh, inventive twist on the murder mystery and a touching portrayal of one daughter’s reckoning with her grief, her past—and her own budding sense of adventure.
Murder Takes a Vacation
Laura Lippman
I’ve noticed that recently, there seems to be a significant upturn in the number of distinctly Agatha Christie-esque mystery novels coming out. And this is no exception. And yet, despite fears of it being too same-same, I’m so there for this. Murder on a river cruise? Older female sleuth? Yes please.
I will say this is also by far the better cover of the two that are out. For my Aussie friends, the version available to pre-order for us (actually not coming out here until August, SIGH) looks a lot more like contemporary romance, weirdly.
About the book
Mrs. Blossom is not the kind of woman to play the lottery. She is practical, a devoted grandmother, and has a knack for blending into the background, which was an asset during her days assisting private investigator Tess Monaghan. But when Mrs. Blossom finds a winning ticket in a parking lot, everything changes…including Mrs. Blossom. She is determined to see the world that sometimes feels as if it’s passing her by.
But when Mrs. Blossom booked her cruise through France on the MS Solitaire, she did not expect to meet Allan on her transatlantic flight. He is the first man who’s sparked something inside her since her beloved husband passed.
She also didn’t expect Allan to be found, dead, twenty-four hours later in Paris, a city he wasn’t supposed to be in.
Now Mrs. Blossom doesn’t know who to trust on board the ship, especially when a new, mystifying man, Danny, keeps popping up around every corner, always present when things go awry. He claims that Allan was involved in the transport of a stolen, precious piece of art, and he’s convinced that Mrs. Blossom knows more than she lets on, regarding both the artifact and Allan’s murder.
Mrs. Blossom’s questions only increase as the cruise sails down the Seine. Why does it feel like she is being followed? Who was Allan, and why was he killed? Most alarmingly, why do these mysterious men keep flirting with her?
What follows is a charming one-of-a-kind mystery from one of Time magazine’s “essential crime writers of the last 100 years.” The perfect combination of cozy and thrilling, this novel and the delightful Mrs. Blossom are sure to be unforgettable.
The English Masterpiece
Katherine Reay
This actually sounds very compelling. Long story short, a young woman is trying to make her way in the art world as a curator and is involved with a Picasso exhibition, except she notices what she believes to be a forgery. Cue: mystery + career in jeopardy.
About the book
Set in the art world of 1970s London, The English Masterpiece is a fast-paced read to the end, full of glamour and secrets, tensions and lies, as one young woman races against the clock to uncover the truth about a Picasso masterpiece. Perfect for fans of Kate Quinn and Ariel Lawhon.
As the recently promoted assistant to the Tate’s Modern Collections keeper Diana Gilden, Lily helps plan a world-class Picasso exhibit to honor the passing of the great artist–and she’s waited her whole life for this moment. The opening is beyond anyone’s expectations–the lighting, the champagne, the glittering crowd, and the international acclaim–until Lily does the unthinkable. She stops in front of a masterpiece and hears her own voice say, “It’s a forgery.” The gallery falls silent.
Lily’s boss, Diana, is polished perfection, schooled in art, and descends from European high society. She’s worked hard to become the trusted voice in London’s modern art scene and respected across the Continent. The Tate’s Picasso Commemorative is to be her crowning achievement, featuring not only the artist’s most iconic and intimate works, but a newly discovered painting–one she advised an investor to purchase. But when Lily makes her outrageous declaration, suspicion and scandal threaten everything Diana has achieved, as museums and collectors across Europe, already doubting most post-war acquisitions, fall into chaos and rumors of a world-wide forgery run wild.
All Lily has ever wanted is to follow in Diana’s footsteps and take the art world by storm in her own right. Yet one comment puts not only her own career at risk but also her mentor’s. Unless . . . Was she right? With the clock ticking and the clues starting to pile up against her, Lily must uncover the truth behind the Picasso before she loses not only the career she’s always wanted, but her freedom.
The Ex-Girlfriend Murder Club
Gloria Chao
The trend of women plotting murder for exes continues with this book. It sounds like a good laugh, and I think that is always my favourite thing about this curious yet delightful sub-genre.
About the author
In this laugh-out-loud murder mystery, three women dating the same man band together to get revenge, but when they discover his body, they’ll need to solve his murder before they go down for it.
The body in the closet was going to be a problem. Kathryn Hu knew it. Yes, Tucker Jones was a cheating scumbag, and yes, she’d agreed to meet Olivia and Elle—Tucker’s other girlfriends—to exact revenge for all he’d put them through… But then they found him. Dead.
Do they look guilty? Yes.
Do they feel guilty for having wished him dead just hours before? Maybe a little.
But—solid motive and a crime scene covered in their DNA aside—they’re innocent. They swear.
To clear their names, Kat, Olivia and Elle team up to find the real killer. But as they go undercover and lie to everyone, including the hot detective working the case, they realize that every person in their ex’s life had a reason to want him dead. Will they uncover the truth before they go down for a murder they didn’t commit?
Memoir ✍🏻
A Different Kind of Power
Jacinda Ardern
The (wo)man, the myth, the legend. Anyone Down Under (collectively, I refer to beyond Aus) is a fan of the powerhouse that is Jacinda Ardern. She was a complete inspiration when in office in NZ, and I will 100% be reading this. I wonder if she narrates her own audiobook …
About the book
From the former prime minister of New Zealand, then the world’s youngest female head of government and just the second to give birth in office, comes a deeply personal memoir chronicling her extraordinary rise and offering inspiration to a new generation of leaders.
What if we could redefine leadership? What if kindness came first? Jacinda Ardern grew up the daughter of a police officer in small-town New Zealand, but as the 40th Prime Minister of her country, she commanded global respect for her empathetic leadership that put people first. This is the remarkable story of how a Mormon girl plagued by self-doubt made political history and changed our assumptions of what a global leader can be.
When Jacinda Ardern became Prime Minister at age thirty-seven, the world took notice. But it was her compassionate yet powerful response to the 2019 Christchurch mosque attacks, resulting in swift and sweeping gun control laws, that demonstrated her remarkable leadership. She guided her country through unprecedented challenges—a volcanic eruption, a major biosecurity breach, and a global pandemic—while advancing visionary new policies to address climate change, reduce child poverty, and secure historic international trade deals. She did all this while juggling first-time motherhood in the public eye.
Ardern exemplifies a new kind of leadership—proving that leaders can be caring, empathetic, and effective. She has become a global icon, and now she is ready to share her story, from the struggles to the surprises, including for the first time the full details of her decision to step down during her sixth year as Prime Minister.
Through her personal experiences and reflections, Jacinda is a model for anyone who has ever doubted themselves, or has aspired to lead with compassion, conviction, and courage. A Different Kind of Power is more than a political memoir; it’s an insight into how it feels to lead, ultimately asking: What if you, too, are capable of more than you ever imagined?
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