Ah, June! The sun is shining, and the beach is calling. I've been soaking up the rays at my local beach, with a book in hand, of course. There's something magical about summer reading, isn't there? Whether you're lounging on the sand, relaxing in your back garden, or simply finding a cosy couch, the right book can make all the difference.
This month, publishers have truly outdone themselves, flooding us with a plethora of exciting new releases. I've sifted through the best of the best to curate sixteen of the best that's sure to delight every kind of reader. From thrilling murder mysteries and enchanting fantasies to swoon-worthy romances and captivating historical tales, there's something here for everyone. Have a look at some of the new book releases that are out this month and discover your next great read.
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New book releases - Fantasy
Title: The Daughters War
Author: Christopher Buehlman
Series: The Blacktongue Thief
Publisher: Gollancz
Book Length: 416
About Book: Galva - Galvicha to her three brothers, two of whom the goblins will kill - has defied her family's wishes and joined the army's untested new unit, the Raven Knights. They march toward a once-beautiful city overrun by the goblin horde, accompanied by scores of giant war corvids. Made with the darkest magics, these fearsome black birds may hold the key to stopping the goblins in their war to make cattle of mankind. The road to victory is bloody, and goblins are clever and merciless. The Raven Knights can take nothing for granted - not the bonds of family, nor the wisdom of their leaders, nor their own safety against the dangerous war birds at their side. But some hopes are worth any risk.
Title: Dragons Den
Author: Kriss Dean
Publisher: Yggdrasil Press
Book Length: 310
About Book: Markus Fredriksen, the First of His Name, more titles to come, always dreamed of breaking a Black Clubtail and becoming a dragon rider. He fails to break any dragon at all, marking the end of his tenure at Dragild Military Academy.
The commandant unexpectedly offers him a broken dragon, but with a caveat: Markus must infiltrate the clan running the Dragon Den, suspected of hijacking semi-trucks carrying precious obsidian.
He jumps at the opportunity to salvage his dreams. He has no idea what he's in for, but the clan leader's daughter is about to become his biggest distraction.
Title: Mirrored Heavens
Author: Rebecca Roanhorse
Series: Between Earth and Sky book 3 of 3
Publisher: S & s Saga Press
Book Length: 608
About Book: The interwoven destinies of the people of Meridian will finally be determined in this stunning conclusion to New York Times bestselling author Rebecca Roanhorse's Between Earth and Sky trilogy.
Even the sea cannot stay calm before the storm. --Teek saying
Serapio, avatar of the Crow God Reborn and the newly crowned Carrion King, rules Tova. But his enemies gather both on distant shores and within his own city as the matrons of the clans scheme to destroy him. And deep in the alleys of the Maw, a new prophecy is whispered, this one from the Coyote God. It promises Serapio certain doom if its terrible dictates are not fulfilled.
Meanwhile, Xiala is thrust back amongst her people as war comes first to the island of Teek. With their way of life and their magic under threat, she is their last best hope. But the sea won't talk to her the way it used to, and doubts riddle her mind. She will have to sacrifice the things that matter most to unleash her powers and become the queen they were promised.
And in the far northern wastelands, Naranpa, avatar of the Sun God, seeks a way to save Tova from the visions of fire that engulf her dreams. But another presence has begun stalking her nightmares, and the Jaguar God is on the hunt.
Title: Of Jade and Dragons
Author: Amber Chen
Series: Fall of the Dragon book 1 of 1
Publisher: Penguin
Book Length: 480
About Book: IRON WIDOW meets SIX CRIMSON CRANES in this immersive YA fantasy inspired by Chinese legend, perfect for fans of Leigh Bardugo and Chloe Gong. Aihui Ying’s life is viciously torn apart when her father is killed by a masked assassin. Left with only his journal and a jade pendant snatched from his killer, she vows to take her revenge. Seeking answers, Ying infiltrates the prestigious Engineers Guild – the ancient institution home to her father’s secret past. There, she begins to navigate a world fraught with politics and treachery. Soon though, Ying’s quest for vengeance turns into a fight for survival and she’ll have to stay one step ahead of everyone. . .if she’s to make it out alive.
New book releases - Historical
Title: The Burial Plot
Author: Elizabeth MacNeal
Publisher: Picador
Book Length: 336
About Book: London, 1839. With the cemeteries full and money to be made in death, tricksters Crawford and Bonnie survive on wicked schemes and ill-gotten coin. But one blistering evening, their fortunes flip. A man lies in a pool of blood at Bonnie’s feet and now she needs to disappear.Crawford secures her a position as lady’s maid in a grand house on the Thames. As Bonnie comes to understand the family – the eccentric Mr Moncrieff, obsessively drawing mausoleums for his dead wife, and their peculiar daughter Cissie, scribbling imaginary love letters to herself – she begins to question what secrets are lying behind the house’s paper-thin walls and whether her own presence here was planned from the beginning. Because Crawford is watching, and perhaps he is plotting his greatest trick yet . . .
Title: A True Account
Author: Katherine Howe
Publisher: Magpie
Book Length: 288
About Book: The Golden Age of Piracy is drawing to a close when Hannah Masury watches the public hanging of the infamous William Fly in a Boston town square. Rumours about the location of Fly's buried treasure are rampant, and when Hannah finds a clue as to where it might be hidden, she decides it's time to take the future into her own hands.
Two centuries later in a dusty university archive, Professor Marian Beresford is captivated by Hannah's story and the many unanswered questions she left behind. Hannah was determined to take her secrets with her to the grave, but in Marian, she might finally have met her match.
A True Account is the page-turning story of two women from two very different worlds, both shattering the rules of their own society, both willing to risk everything to forge their own adventure.
Title: The Ghost Ship
Author: Kate Mosse
Series: The Joubert Family Chronicles book 3 of 4
Publisher: Pan
Book Length: 512
About Book: The Barbary Coast, 1621. A mysterious vessel floats silently on the water ― its hull splintered and its sails tattered and burnt. For months the Ghost Ship has hunted pirates to liberate enslaved prisoners. Now it, too, finds itself hunted. But the ship’s crew hides a secret, and the stakes could not be higher. The bravest among them are not what they seem: if arrested, they will hang for their alleged crimes. Can they survive their journey and escape their fate? A tale of adventure and buccaneering, love and revenge, stolen fortunes, piracy and hidden secrets on the high seas, The Ghost Ship is the third instalment in The Joubert Family Chronicles. The series concludes with The Map of Bones.
Title: The Midnight Hour
Author: Eve Chase
Publisher: Michael Joseph
Book Length: 400
About Book: Notting Hill, London. One May evening, seventeen-year-old Maggie Parker's mother walks out of their front door and doesn't return . . .With her little brother in tow, desperate to find her mother, Maggie is drawn into a labyrinthine world of antiques and shadowy figures. There she befriends someone else living on their wits. But can he help solve the mystery of her mother’s disappearance? Twenty-one years later, in a Parisian apartment, Maggie’s phone rings and her hard-won grown-up life shatters. While in London, the new owner of the Parker’s old house is excavating the basement, unaware of what might lie beneath.
New book releases -
Title: Leather and Lark
Author: Brynne Weaver
Series: The Ruinous Love Trilogy
Publisher: Piatkus
Book Length: 416
About Book: Every killer claims a soul. Every phantom wants revenge. All contract killer Lachlan Kane wants is a quiet life. But when he botches a job for his boss's biggest client, Lachlan knows he'll never claw his way out of the underworld. At least, not until Lark Montague offers him a deal: use his skills to hunt down a killer and she'll find a way to secure his freedom. The catch? He has to marry her first. And they can't stand each other. Indie singer-songwriter Lark may seem like sunshine and glitter personified but she has her own secrets hiding in the shadows. With her formidable family in a tailspin and her best friend's happiness on the line, she's willing to make a vow to the man she's determined to hate, no matter how tempting the broody assassin might be. As Lachlan and Lark navigate the dark world that binds them together, it becomes impossible to discern their fake marriage from a real one. But it's not just familiar dangers that haunt them. There's another phantom lurking on their doorstep . . . And this one has come for blood.
Title: Just Some Stupid Love Story
Author: Katelyn Doyle
Publisher: Piatkus
Book Length: 336
About Book: Molly Marks writes Hollywood rom-coms for a living - which is how she knows 'romance' is a racket. The one and only time she was naive enough to fall in love was with her high school boyfriend, Seth - who she ghosted on the eve of graduation and hasn't seen in fifteen years. Seth Rubinstein believes in love, the grand, fated kind, despite his job as, well . . . one of Chicago's most successful divorce attorneys. Over the last decade, he's sought 'the one' in countless bad dates and rushed relationships. He knows his soulmate is out there. But so far, no one can compare to Molly Marks, the first girl who broke his heart.When Molly's friends drag her to Florida for their fifteenth high school reunion, it is poetic justice that she's forced to sit with Seth. Too many martinis and a drunken hookup later, they decide to make a bet: whoever can predict the fate of five couples before the next reunion must declare that the other is right about true love. The catch? The fifth couple is the two of them.Molly assures Seth they are a tale of timeless heartbreak. Seth promises she'll end up hopelessly in love with him. She thinks he's delusional. He has five years to prove her wrong.
Title: Love Unwritten
Author: Lauren Asher
Series: Lakefront Billionaires book 2 of 3
Publisher: Piatkus
Book Length: 640
About Book:
Rafael
Ellie Sinclair is a hopeless romantic who writes love songs. I'm a struggling workaholic who could inspire a hundred breakup albums. On paper, we have nothing in common except for my son. For eight months, I avoid her until our summer trip .Fourteen days. Two islands. And one nanny I shouldn't be attracted to. Spending time with Ellie is expected, but enjoying her company? That isn't part of our travel plans. After my divorce, I swore to protect my heart at all costs .Even if it means breaking hers in the process.
Ellie
What's worse than working for a grumpy single dad? Admitting that I once had a secret crush on him in high school. Thankfully, Rafael Lopez and I have changed since we graduated from Wisteria High. He is a billionaire with a company to run and a child to take care of. I'm an unemployed songwriter he hired to watch his son and teach music. We coexist without any issues until a vacation changes everything. Lines blur and old feelings for Rafael return with vengeance as I face a new dilemma. Being his son's nanny is one thing, but wishing for more? Sounds like a heartbreak song waiting to be written.
Title: A Novel Love Story
Author: Ashley Poston
Publisher: HQ
Book Length: 384
About Book: 📚Have you ever found yourself lost in a good book … literally?📚
Eileen Merriweather loves a good love story. The fictional kind, anyway. After all, imaginary men don’t break your heart.
That’s why she’s so excited for her annual book club retreat – instead, when her car breaks down en-route, Eileen finds herself in Eloraton. A town where every meet is cute, the rain always comes in the afternoon, and the bookshop is always curated with impeccable taste.
It feels too good to be true … because Eloraton is the setting of her favourite romance series. And Eileen is sure she must be here to bring the town its storybook ending.
But there’s one character she can’t place. The grumpy bookshop owner with mint-green eyes, and an irritatingly sexy mouth. He does not want Eileen to finish this story, but how else can she find her happily-ever-after?
New book releases - Thriller
Title: Housemaid is Watching
Author: Frieda McFadden
Series: The Housemaid book 3 of 3
Publisher: Poisoned Pen Press
Book Length: 400
About Book: "You must be our new neighbours!" Mrs. Lowell gushes and waves across the picket fence. I clutch my daughter's hand and smile back: but the second Mrs. Lowell sees my husband a strange expression crosses her face. In that moment I make a promise. We finally have a family home. My past is far, far behind us. And I'll do anything to keep it that way…I used to clean other people's houses―now, I can't believe this home is actually mine. The charming kitchen, the quiet cul-de-sac, the huge yard where my kids can play. My husband and I saved for years to give our children the life they deserve. Even still, I'm wary of our new neighbour Mrs. Lowell. When she invites us over for dinner it's our chance to make friends. Her maid opens the door wearing a white apron, her hair in a tight bun. I know exactly what it's like to be in her shoes. But her cold stare gives me chills…The Lowells' maid isn't the only strange thing on our street. I'm sure I see a shadowy figure watching us. My husband leaves the house late at night. And when I meet a woman who lives across the way, her words chill me to the bone: Be careful of your neighbours. Did I make a terrible mistake moving my family here? I thought I'd left my darkest secrets behind. But could this quiet suburban street be the most dangerous place of all?
Title: The Midnight Feast
Author: Lucy Foley
Publisher: HarperCollins
Book Length: 432
About Book: Midsummer, the Dorset coast
In the shadows of an ancient wood, guests gather for the opening weekend of The Manor: a beautiful new countryside retreat.
But under the burning midsummer sun, darkness stirs. Old friends and enemies circulate among the guests. And the candles have barely been lit for a solstice supper when the body is found.
It all began with a secret, fifteen years ago. Now the past has crashed the party. And it’ll end in murder at…
THE MIDNIGHT FEAST
Title: A Curtain Twitchers Book of Murder
Author: Gay Marris
Publisher: Bedford Square Publishers
Book Length: 320
About Book: Set in London in 1968, A CURTAIN TWITCHER’S BOOK OF MURDER follows the lives of the inhabitants of a suburban London street. But this is no ordinary road.
“Ask anyone on Atbara Avenue how well they know their neighbours, and they’ll answer ‘well’. After all, they see each other across the vast distance afforded by close proximity, and that is probably for the best...”.
For the best, because Atbara Avenue is a street where, all too often, murder feels like the solution.
With a delicious cast of characters, dazzling plotting, and an utterly unique voice, Gay Marris’ first book is remarkably accomplished. If you’ve been longing for a fresh and compelling new voice in the world of crime fiction, your wait is over.
Title: D is for Death
Author: Harriet F Townson
Publisher: Hodder & Stoughton
Book Length: 304
About Book: 1935. Dora's on the first train to London, having smuggled herself out of the house in the middle of the night to escape her impending marriage. But unluckily for her, Dora's fiance is more persistent than most and follows. As Dora alights at Paddington station, she is immediately forced to run from the loathsome Charles Silk-Butters. She ducks into the London Library to hide and it is there, surrounded by books, where she should feel most safe, that Dora Wildwood stumbles across her first dead body. Having been thrown into the middle of a murder scene, it's now impossible to walk away. Indeed, Dora's certain she will prove an invaluable help to the gruff Detective Inspector Fox who swiftly arrives on the scene. For as everyone knows, it's the woman in the room who always sees more than anyone else: and no one more so than Dora herself...
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