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13 Books I Can't Wait To Read This Summer
13 Books I Can’t Wait To Read This Summer
This summer is WOW — jam-packed with a lot of amazing releases across all genres. I tried soooo hard to share my top ten but couldn’t whittle it down! And so I’m sharing my top 13 titles, although there’s more beyond these I can’t wait to read! What are some of your most anticipated summer books? Comment below.
RECURSION by Blake Crouch // Jun 11
I’m such a big fan of Blake Crouch, from his Wayward Pines series to his standalone hit, Dark Matter, he just hits my personal sweet spot of geekiness, mystery and thrills. His latest sounds exciting and intriguing and I’m sure it will deliver in every way.
ABOUT THE BOOK:
Memory makes reality. That’s what New York City cop Barry Sutton is learning as he investigates the devastating phenomenon the media has dubbed False Memory Syndrome—a mysterious affliction that drives its victims mad with memories of a life they never lived.
Neuroscientist Helena Smith already understands the power of memory. It’s why she’s dedicated her life to creating a technology that will let us preserve our most precious moments of our pasts. If she succeeds, anyone will be able to re-experience a first kiss, the birth of a child, the final moment with a dying parent.
As Barry searches for the truth, he comes face-to-face with an opponent more terrifying than any disease—a force that attacks not just our minds but the very fabric of the past. And as its effects begin to unmake the world as we know it, only he and Helena, working together, will stand a chance at defeating it.
But how can they make a stand when reality itself is shifting and crumbling all around them?
STORM AND FURY by Jennifer L. Armentrout // Jun 11
I’m a long-time JLA reader — she was one of the first authors I sort of fell in love with in this book community of ours. Her books are awesome, especially her PNRs… they are my fave. I loved The Dark Elements series and this is the first book in a spinoff series and it was everything (and more) that I hoped it would be. With her quirky characters, signature wit and snark, and a steady dose of suspense and action, it’s pretty much a perfect book and it was a complete delight to read.
ABOUT THE BOOK:
Enter a world of gargoyle protectors, rising demons and one girl with an explosive secret.
Eighteen-year-old Trinity Marrow may be going blind, but she can see and communicate with ghosts and spirits. Her unique gift is part of a secret so dangerous that she’s been in hiding for years in an isolated compound fiercely guarded by Wardens—gargoyle shape-shifters who protect humankind from demons. If the demons discover the truth about Trinity, they’ll devour her, flesh and bone, to enhance their own powers.
When Wardens from another clan arrive with disturbing reports that something out there is killing both demons and Wardens, Trinity’s safe world implodes. Not the least because one of the outsiders is the most annoying and fascinating person she’s ever met. Zayne has secrets of his own that will upend her world yet again—but working together becomes imperative once demons breach the compound and Trinity’s secret comes to light. To save her family and maybe the world, she’ll have to put her trust in Zayne. But all bets are off as a supernatural war is unleashed…
I love how Devney’s books capture small-town magic in a way that’s intimate, relatable and compelling. Every novel is better and better as she perfects her craft and cements a signature style so many of us can’t help but love. Her latest appeals to me because I love reading books that center around a marriage and this one seems to pack all the feels. I can’t wait to read it!
ABOUT THE BOOK:
Molly and Finn Alcott had the picture-perfect marriage. With two gorgeous children, a lovely home and their own business, they were the couple others aspired to be. But when news of their divorce spreads through town like wildfire, it sends their beautiful image up in flames.
Molly spends years mending her broken heart. She finds joy in a life centered around her kids and career. Her happiness has a different picture now.
Then one day, she finds a letter in her mailbox. Written in Finn’s handwriting, dated over fifteen years ago, it’s a letter he wrote Molly after their first date.
Week after week, Finn’s letters appear. Each marks a date in their history. Each holds the confession of the man who still owns Molly’s heart. Each heals a wound from their past.
It’s just too bad Finn isn’t the one sending them.
Every Jo Nesbo book will forever make my most anticipated list. He is the master of delivering books that are electrifying, propulsive, tense, twisty, dark, edgy. I can’t say enough good things. And of course, Harry Hole, our flawed hero, is ever fascinating. This particular novel sounds unbelievable as Harry chases down an old nemesis and once again is pulled in deep into the case, in a very personal (and scary) way.
ABOUT THE BOOK:
Brilliant, audaciously rogue police officer, Harry Hole from The Snowman and The Thirst, is back and in the throes of a new, unanticipated rage–once again hunting the murderer who has haunted his entire career.
Harry Hole is not in a good place. Rakel–the only woman he’s ever loved–has ended it with him, permanently. He’s been given a chance for a new start with the Oslo Police but it’s in the cold case office, when what he really wants is to be investigating cases he suspects have ties to Svein Finne, the serial rapist and murderer who Harry helped put behind bars. And now, Finne is free after a decade-plus in prison–free, and Harry is certain, unreformed and ready to take up where he left off. But things will get worse. When Harry wakes up the morning after a blackout, drunken night with blood that’s clearly not his own on his hands, it’s only the very beginning of what will be a waking nightmare the likes of which even he could never have imagined.
THE TWO LILA BENNETTS by Liz Fenton & Lisa Steinke // Jul 23
From women’s fic to suspense, this writing duo always gives us compelling books to read. I’m super interigued by their latest, described as “Sliding Doors with a killer twist.” I’ve always been drawn to that Sliding Doors concept, so I’m really looking forward to seeing Liz and Lisa’s unique take on it.
ABOUT THE BOOK:
Lila Bennett’s bad choices have finally caught up with her. And one of those decisions has split her life in two. Literally.
In one life, she’s taken hostage by someone who appears to be a stranger but knows too much. As she’s trapped in a concrete cell, her kidnapper forces her to face what she’s done or be killed. In an alternate life, she eludes her captor but is hunted by someone who is dismantling her happiness, exposing one secret at a time.
Lila’s decorated career as a criminal defense attorney, her marriage, and her life are on the line. She must make a list of those she’s wronged—both in and out of the courtroom—to determine who is out to get her before it’s too late. But even if she can pinpoint her assailant, will she survive? And if she does, which parts of her life are worth saving, and which parts must die? Because one thing’s for certain—life as Lila Bennett knew it is over.
I absolutely loved The Secrets She Keeps and I remember finishing that book and already looking forward to whatever Robotham penned next.
ABOUT THE BOOK:
From the bestselling author of The Secrets She Keeps, the writer Stephen King calls “an absolute master…with heart and soul,” a fiendishly clever suspense novel about a dangerous young woman with a special ability to know when someone is lying—and the criminal psychologist who must outwit her to survive.
A girl is discovered hiding in a secret room in the aftermath of a terrible crime. Half-starved and filthy, she won’t tell anyone her name, or her age, or where she came from. Maybe she is twelve, maybe fifteen. She doesn’t appear in any missing persons file, and her DNA can’t be matched to an identity. Six years later, still unidentified, she is living in a secure children’s home with a new name, Evie Cormac. When she initiates a court case demanding the right to be released as an adult, forensic psychologist Cyrus Haven must determine if Evie is ready to go free. But she is unlike anyone he’s ever met—fascinating and dangerous in equal measure. Evie knows when someone is lying, and no one around her is telling the truth.
Meanwhile, Cyrus is called in to investigate the shocking murder of a high school figure-skating champion, Jodie Sheehan, who dies on a lonely footpath close to her home. Pretty and popular, Jodie is portrayed by everyone as the ultimate girl-next-door, but as Cyrus peels back the layers, a secret life emerges—one that Evie Cormac, the girl with no past, knows something about. A man haunted by his own tragic history, Cyrus is caught between the two cases—one girl who needs saving and another who needs justice. What price will he pay for the truth?
I mean, it’s Sarah MacLean… do I need more of a reason to be crazy excited about her new book?! I love love love historical romance and Sarah is one of the best when it comes to giving us a story that’s a joy to read. The Bareknuckle Bastards series started amazingly awesome with Wicked and the Wallflower and I’m so looking forward to escaping into this latest!
ABOUT THE BOOK:
NewYork Times Bestselling Author Sarah MacLean returns with the next book in the Bareknuckle Bastards series about three brothers bound by a secret that they cannot escape—and the women who bring them to their knees.
The Lady’s Plan
When Lady Henrietta Sedley declares her twenty-ninth year her own, she has plans to inherit her father’s business, to make her own fortune, and to live her own life. But first, she intends to experience a taste of the pleasure she’ll forgo as a confirmed spinster. Everything is going perfectly…until she discovers the most beautiful man she’s ever seen tied up in her carriage and threatening to ruin the Year of Hattie before it’s even begun.
The Bastard’s Proposal
When he wakes in a carriage at Hattie’s feet, Whit, a king of Covent Garden known to all the world as Beast, can’t help but wonder about the strange woman who frees him—especially when he discovers she’s headed for a night of pleasure . . . on his turf. He is more than happy to offer Hattie all she desires…for a price.
An Unexpected Passion
Soon, Hattie and Whit find themselves rivals in business and pleasure. She won’t give up her plans; he won’t give up his power . . . and neither of them sees that if they’re not careful, they’ll have no choice but to give up everything . . . including their hearts.
From the author of The Girl Before comes a new twisy novel that sounds entirely intriguing. It sounds innovating, mysterious and entirely unique.
ABOUT THE BOOK:
Abbie awakens in a daze with no memory of who she is or how she landed in this unsettling condition. The man by her side claims to be her husband. He’s a titan of the tech world, the founder of one of Silicon Valley’s most innovative start-ups. He tells Abbie that she is a gifted artist, an avid surfer, a loving mother to their young son, and the perfect wife. He says she had a terrible accident five years ago and that, through a huge technological breakthrough, she has been brought back from the abyss.
She is a miracle of science.
But as Abbie pieces together memories of her marriage, she begins questioning her husband’s motives—and his version of events. Can she trust him when he says he wants them to be together forever? And what really happened to Abbie half a decade ago?
Ruth Ware is one of the most reliable psychological thriller writers. While some have faltered after early hits, Ware has been refreshingly consistent in delivering thoughtful, taut, atmospheric thrillers. This fifth book really is one of my tippy top most anticipated and I can’t wait to get started on it!
ABOUT THE BOOK:
When she stumbles across the ad, she’s looking for something else completely. But it seems like too good an opportunity to miss—a live-in nannying post, with a staggeringly generous salary. And when Rowan Caine arrives at Heatherbrae House, she is smitten—by the luxurious “smart” home fitted out with all modern conveniences, by the beautiful Scottish Highlands, and by this picture-perfect family.
What she doesn’t know is that she’s stepping into a nightmare—one that will end with a child dead and herself in prison awaiting trial for murder.
Writing to her lawyer from prison, she struggles to explain the unravelling events that led to her incarceration. It wasn’t just the constant surveillance from the cameras installed around the house, or the malfunctioning technology that woke the household with booming music, or turned the lights off at the worst possible time. It wasn’t just the girls, who turned out to be a far cry from the immaculately behaved model children she met at her interview. It wasn’t even the way she was left alone for weeks at a time, with no adults around apart from the enigmatic handyman, Jack Grant.
It was everything.
She knows she’s made mistakes. She admits that she lied to obtain the post, and that her behavior toward the children wasn’t always ideal. She’s not innocent, by any means. But, she maintains, she’s not guilty—at least not of murder. Which means someone else is.
She’s one of my favorite romance writers and she can pretty much do no wrong based on the 50+ books I’ve read of hers. I enthusiastically anticipate everything she puts out there and from what I know of Quiet Man, I am sure I will love it. Is it August yet?!
ABOUT THE BOOK:
Charlotte “Lottie” McAlister is in the zone. She’s ready to take on the next chapter of her life, and since she doesn’t have a man, she’ll do what she’s done all along. She’ll take care of business on her own. Even if that business means starting a family.
The problem is, Lottie has a stalker. The really bad kind. The kind that means she needs a bodyguard.
Enter Mo Morrison.
Enormous. Scary.
Quiet.
Mo doesn’t say much, and Lottie’s used to getting attention. And she wants Mo’s attention. Badly.
But Mo has a strict rule. If he’s guarding your body, that’s all he’s doing with it.
However, the longer Mo has to keep Lottie safe, the faster he falls for the beautiful blonde who has it so together, she might even be able to tackle the demons he’s got in his head that just won’t die.
But in the end, Lottie and Mo don’t only have to find some way to keep hands off until the threat is over, they have to negotiate the overprotective Hot Bunch, Lottie’s crazy stepdad, Tex, Mo’s crew of frat-boy commandos, not to mention his nutty sisters.
I’ve never read a bad Karin Slaughter book, ever… She is one of the reigning queens of procedurals and I’m so excited to read the next Will Trent book!
ABOUT THE BOOK:
A mysterious kidnapping
On a hot summer night, a scientist from the Centers for Disease Control is grabbed by unknown assailants in a shopping center parking lot. Vanished into thin air, the authorities are desperate to save the doctor.
A devastating explosion
One month later, the serenity of a sunny Sunday afternoon is shattered by the boom of a ground-shaking blast—followed by another seconds later. One of Atlanta’s busiest and most important neighborhood’s has been bombed—the location of Emory University, two major hospitals, the FBI headquarters, and the CDC.
A diabolical enemy
Medical examiner Sara Linton and her partner Will Trent, an investigator with the Georgia Bureau of Investigation, rush to the scene—and into the heart of a deadly conspiracy that threatens to destroy thousands of innocent lives. When the assailants abduct Sara, Will goes undercover to save her and prevent a massacre—putting his own life on the line for the woman and the country he loves.
Summer is hot hot hot for historical romances and Tessa Dare is serving up what will surely be another sweeping, addictive story like so many others I’ve loved.
ABOUT THE BOOK:
They call him the Duke of Ruin.
To an undaunted wallflower, he’s just the beast next door.
Wealthy and ruthless, Gabriel Duke clawed his way from the lowliest slums to the pinnacle of high society—and now he wants to get even.
Loyal and passionate, Lady Penelope Campion never met a lost or wounded creature she wouldn’t take into her home and her heart.
When her imposing—and attractive—new neighbor demands she clear out the rescued animals, Penny sets him a challenge. She will part with her precious charges, if he can find them loving homes.
Done, Gabriel says. How hard can it be to find homes for a few kittens?
And a two-legged dog.
And a foul-mouthed parrot.
And a goat, an otter, a hedgehog . . .
Easier said than done, for a cold-blooded bastard who wouldn’t know a loving home from a workhouse. Soon he’s covered in cat hair, knee-deep in adorable, and bewitched by a shyly pretty spinster who defies his every attempt to resist. Now she’s set her mind and heart on saving him.
HOW TO LOVE A DUKE IN TEN DAYS by Kerrigan Byrne // Aug 27
Rounding out the list is Kerrigan Byrne’s highly anticipated next historical romance. I fell in love with her Victorial Rebels series, and based on those books alone, she’s sure to carry through her unique, edgy voice into her new novel, which I’m dying to get my hands on!
ABOUT THE BOOK:
These men are dark, bold, and brave. And there is only one woman who can bring them to their knees…
Famed and brilliant, Lady Alexandra Lane has always known how to look out for to herself. But nobody would ever expect that she has darkness in her past—one that she pays a blackmailer to keep buried. Now, with her family nearing bankruptcy, Alexandra strikes upon a solution: Get married to one of the empire’s most wealthy eligible bachelors. Even if he does have the reputation of a devil.
LOVE TAKES NO PRISONERS
Piers Gedrick Atherton, the Duke of Redmayne, is seeking revenge and the first step is securing a bride. Winning a lady’s hand is not so easy, however, for a man known as the Terror of Torcliff. Then, Alexandra enters his life like a bolt of lightning. When she proposes marriage, Piers knows that, like him, trouble haunts her footsteps. But her gentleness, sharp wit, independent nature, and incredible beauty awakens every fierce desire within him. He will do whatever it takes to keep her safe in his arms.
This post contains affiliate links, meaning I’ll receive a small commission should you purchase using those links. All opinions expressed are my own. I receive no compensation for reviews.
I love how Devney’s books capture small-town magic in a way that’s intimate, relatable and compelling. Every novel is better and better as she perfects her craft and cements a signature style so many of us can’t help but love. Her latest appeals to me because I love reading books that center around a marriage and this one seems to pack all the feels. I can’t wait to read it!ABOUT THE BOOK:
From women’s fic to suspense, this writing duo always gives us compelling books to read. I’m super interigued by their latest, described as “Sliding Doors with a killer twist.” I’ve always been drawn to that Sliding Doors concept, so I’m really looking forward to seeing Liz and Lisa’s unique take on it.ABOUT THE BOOK:
I mean, it’s Sarah MacLean… do I need more of a reason to be crazy excited about her new book?! I love love love historical romance and Sarah is one of the best when it comes to giving us a story that’s a joy to read. The Bareknuckle Bastards series started amazingly awesome with Wicked and the Wallflower and I’m so looking forward to escaping into this latest!ABOUT THE BOOK:
From the author of The Girl Before comes a new twisy novel that sounds entirely intriguing. It sounds innovating, mysterious and entirely unique.ABOUT THE BOOK:
Ruth Ware is one of the most reliable psychological thriller writers. While some have faltered after early hits, Ware has been refreshingly consistent in delivering thoughtful, taut, atmospheric thrillers. This fifth book really is one of my tippy top most anticipated and I can’t wait to get started on it!ABOUT THE BOOK:
I’ve never read a bad Karin Slaughter book, ever… She is one of the reigning queens of procedurals and I’m so excited to read the next Will Trent book!ABOUT THE BOOK:
Summer is hot hot hot for historical romances and Tessa Dare is serving up what will surely be another sweeping, addictive story like so many others I’ve loved.ABOUT THE BOOK:
Rounding out the list is Kerrigan Byrne’s highly anticipated next historical romance. I fell in love with her Victorial Rebels series, and based on those books alone, she’s sure to carry through her unique, edgy voice into her new novel, which I’m dying to get my hands on!ABOUT THE BOOK:
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