July 2025 Book Releases

Art of Vanishing

Author: Morgan Pager

Year: 2025

Genre: Magical Realism

Spice Rating:💋💋

Age Range: 16+

Plot

Claire is a museum employee who works the night shift. She loves the paintings and feels a deep connection to them, especially one painted by Henri Matisse that depicts his family. Jean Matisse is front and center of the painting, reading a book but actually watching clare from inside his frame.

When Claire discovers that she can step into the painting and travel between the paintings in the museum, her entire world changes. Soon, she spends her days waiting for her shift to come so she can jump into his world. Jean and Claire fall in love and must find a way to defy reality and find happiness.

Trigger Warnings

pandemic

Why Jackie loves it

There are so many things that I love about this delightful novel. The story is told from the point of view of both Claire and Jean and I love getting their perspectives. I also love that this book takes place in the Barnes. It is not explicitly stated, however, as a local to the town where the original Barnes was located, it was interesting to hear about it from the paintings’ points of view. This book is so original. I listened to and read the book and couldn’t get enough. Thank you, PRH and PRH Audio, for my copies of this book.

Find this book in: Novels About Art and Artists / Magical Realism Books /Best Beach Reads 2025

Finding Grace

Author: Loretta Rothschild

Year: 2025

Genre: Literary Fiction Romance

Spice Rating:💋💋

Age Range: 16+

Plot

Honor, her husband, Tom, and their daughter Chloe seem like a perfect family. Still, Honor and Tom’s marriage is beginning to show the strains of repeated fertility issues, when something catastrophic happens that will forever alter their future.

Years later, Tom makes a decision that will impact every aspect of his life as he manipulates information, hides truths, and flat-out lies his way into someone’s orbit because of their connection with is family.

Trigger Warnings

Infertility

Why Kirsten loves it

I can’t say much about this story without ruining it, but I will say this. The end of the first chapter had me re-reading because I was so shocked. I cried, I winced, and I felt every moment of this deeply moving literary romance in my bones. I’ve never read a story quite like it. It will be one of my favorite books of the year. I just know it. #Gifted by St. Martins Press

Find this book in: Books About Mothers / Beach Reads 2025

Under the Stars: A Novel

Author: Beatriz Williams

Genre: Fiction

Release Date: July 29

More info: Bestselling Author of Husbands & Lovers

Plot

I cannot wait to read this dual-timeline book that follows three women’s stories in New England. Meredith Fisher was once a famous movie star who needed to return to her home in New England to sober up. Her daughter, Audrey Fisher, has made a life for herself as a chef but agrees to go to the family home with her mom. When Audrey discovers an old trunk filled with paintings from a great American artist, they wonder how these ended up in their cellar.

In 1846, Providence Dare fled Boston on the steamship Atlantic. When the ship hits a storm and is rendered helpless, Providence must find a way to escape the boat- especially since a detective is onboard and he is investigating the suspicious death of her employer, the painter Henry Irving.

Rush Week: A Scandalous Novel

Author: Michelle Brandon

Genre: Fiction

Release Date: July 22, 2025

More info: A Scandalous Novel of Sorority Sisters, Dark Secrets, and Unforgettable Drama Inspired by the #BamaRushTok

Plot

This is a juicy drama that I cannot wait to get my hands on! Four sorority sisters find themselves back at the University of Alabama five years after they graduated. The “spill book”, where they wrote confessions that were supposed to be buried forever in a time capsule, has been stolen and someone is threatening to expose everything. This pick from the July 2025 book releases is a must-read for me!

Darling Beasts

Author: Michelle Gable

Genre: Spectulative Fiction

Release Date: July 8, 2025

More info: New York Times Bestselling Author of The Beautiful People

Plot

This pick from the July 2025 book releases looks like the perfect pick for our list of Best Family Drama Books. Gabby, Talia, and Ozzie Gunn are heirs to a media empire that is in shambles. To restore the family name, their father decides to run for senate and needs them all to move to California for the campaign. To complicate things, Gabby has Portum Bestiae Syndrome- a condition where exotic animals appear. When family secrets come to light, the stage is set for some chaos!

Beautiful Nights: A Novel

Author: Nina George

Genre: Fiction

Release Date: July 29, 2025

More info: New York Times Bestselling author of The Little Paris Bookshop

Plot

When a professor begins an affair with her son’s girlfriend, nothing will be the same again. Claire is a behavioral biologist who feels trapped in her life. She allows her son Nico to bring his new girlfriend with them on their annual trip to the Brittany coast. The woman have a secret, they have met before…

These Summer Storms

Author: Sarah Maclean

Year: 2025

Genre: Fiction

Spice Rating:💋💋💋

Age Range: 18+

Plot

Alice Storm has not returned to her family’s private island vacation home since she wanted a life outside of the Storm family’s billions and her father’s control. When her father dies unexpectedly, she returns home to for his funeral and discovers he has plans from beyond the grave. He had created an inheritance game where Alice, her siblings (Greta, Sam, and Emily), and her mother must complete tasks to earn their inheritance, and they ALL have to complete their tasks or no one receives anything.

Alice’s task is to remain on the island for a full week – a challenging task given that her family hasn’t spoken with her since her father cut her off. Secrets will be revealed, and the family will either come together or split for good. And when her father’s second-in-command shows up to enforce the rules, the chemistry he has with Alice might become a problem.

Why Kirsten loves it

Every member of this uber-rich family is INSUFFERABLE in the absolute most delicious way possible. If you like shows like White Lotus or The Sirens, I think you will be able to picture exactly the kinds of people I’m talking about. I loved Alice’s struggle to do what her moral compass was telling her to do (run for the hills) and wanted to stay to give her family what they so desperately wanted – the money, when really she just wants to feel important and valued.

The romantic element of the story was steamy and quite a great sidequest, but it was the family struggles that had me squirming in my seat with anxiety, flipping through the pages at warp speed. This is a DELICIOUS summer read.

Find this book in: Beach Reads 2025 / Family Dramas

Etiquette for Lovers and Killers 

Author: Anna Fitzgerald Healy

Year: 2025

Genre: Historical Mystery

More info: A Beyond the Bookends Most Anticipated July 2025 Book Release

Spice Rating:💋

Age Range:16+

Plot

This novel is a historical fiction set in the 60s, a cozy mystery, and a romance all tied up into one book! And it’s set in Maine as well. Billie McCadie lives with her grandparents and lives vicariously through the characters in the books she gets from the library. She loves epic love stories and mysteries. She is confused when she receives a letter addressed to Gertrude asking for her hand in marriage with a diamond ring. She is even more surprised when Gertrude is found dead and Billie is one of the last to see her alive.

Now her boring life becomes much more interesting, especially when she must take it upon herself to find the murderer. Everyone is hiding secrets, bodies are piling, and Billie is receiving concerning phone calls. Is she safe? Is she a suspect?

Why Jackie loves it

These characters are so much fun. They are unique and surprising, which makes this an easy read. I loved the glimpse into the 60s with the yachts and parties and the mystery was well-plotted. I had no idea who murdered Gertrude. #gifted from Putnam

Find this book in: Best Beach Reads 2025 / Books Set in Maine / Cozy Mystery Books / Books Set in the 1960s / RomCozy Books

Our Last Vineyard Summer

Author: Brooke Lea Foster

Genre: Historical Fiction

Release Date: July 1, 2025

More info: Dual Timeline 1965 ad 1978

Plot

Betsy Whiting is finishing her first year of graduate school when her mother calls her and her sisters back to Martha’s Vineyard for the summer. Betsy had hoped to spend the summer with her boyfriend, but after her Senator father died, they needed to sell the summer home. This is a dual timeline narrative that follows two generations of women along with their loves and losses.

The Peculiar Gift of July: A Novel

Author: Ashley Ream

Year: 2025

Genre: Magical Realism

Age Range: 14+

Plot

Anita Odom is a grocer on Edey’s End, a small town that can only be reached by ferry. When 14-year-old July shows up on her doorstep, she takes in the recently orphaned child from an estranged cousin.

While Anita is sure that this is a terrible idea, July seems to know exactly what people need. Soon, the gifts (a slice of pie or a magazine) start changing people’s lives in small but good ways. July begins to change the lives of the people in Ebey’s End in ways they never knew they needed. They realize their lives are connected in so many ways.

Trigger Warnings

Death of a parent

Why Jackie loves it

I did not know what to expect with this book. Even if magical realism is not your thing, this book reads more like fiction. I love the relationships between the people in the town and how the characters grow and change. I read this book quickly and loved it. #Gifted from PRH Audio and Dutton

Find this book in: Best Magical Realism Book

The Irresistible Urge to Fall for Your Enemy

Author: Brigitte Knightley

Genre: Romantasy

Release Date: July 8, 2025

More info: Dearly Beloathed Book #1

Plot

There is a little bit of everything in this slow-burn, enemies-to-lovers fantasy romance novel from the July 2025 book releases. Aureinne is a healer trying to cure an outbreak of Pox, but with no money for an immunization program. Osric is an assassin who is ill and needs Aureinne’s help- even if she is part of an enemy faction. When he bribes her to help hi, she knows that money can be used to help the kids. She is not prepared to feel attracted to him!

The Enchanted Greenhouse

Author: Sarah Beth Durst

Year: 2025

Genre: Cozy Fantasy Romance

More info: The Spellshop #2

Spice Rating:💋💋

Age Range: 14+

Plot

This is a standalone fantasy set in The Spellshop world. Terlu cast an illegal spell and created a sentient plant earning her a punishment of being turned into a wooden statue. But Terlu wakes up on an island of hundreds of magical greenhouses, having been awoken by the lone human inhabitant – a gardener, Yarrow. He’s brought her here to help her stop the enchanted greenhouses from failing. As she works to save the various plants, she begins to fall in love with Yarrow despite his grumpy exterior.

Why Kirsten loves it

Like her previous novel, this story is like a warm hug of a book. I read it in spring when my own garden began to bloom and it brought the magic of the season to life in a fun way. I adored the talking plants and the slow, sweet romance between the main characters. You don’t have to have read the previous book by any stretch, but there is a sweet check in on those characters at the end of this story.

Find this book in: Isolation Novels / Beach Reads 2025

A Witch’s Guide to Magical Innkeeping

Author: Sangu Madanna

Genre: Fantasy

Release Date: July 15, 2025

More info: Bestselling Author of Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches

Plot

Sera Swan was one of the most powerful witches in Britain until her Guild exiled her for resurrecting her great-aunt Jasmine. Now she is reluctantly helping Jasmine run an inn. When she finds a spell that will help restore her powers, she will need help. Luke Larson, a magical historical, is just the person to help her.

Everyone is Lying to You

Author: Jo Piazza

Year: 2025

Genre: Thriller

Spice Rating:💋💋

Age Range: 16+

Plot

Lizzie and Bex were best friends until Bex disappeared after college graduation. Now, fifteen years later, Bex has transformed into a “traditional” wife and influencer with millions of followers, a ranch, a husband named Gray, and a brood of children. When Bex calls Lizzie to invite her to do an exclusive interview, it may be the big break her career needs.

Curious about not just the exclusive, but also why Bex abruptly ended their friendship, Lizzie heads to the MomBomb conference to reconnect with her. But when Gray is found murdered and Bex goes missing, Lizzie finds herself in a world of momfluencers and backstabbing.

Trigger Warnings

Infertility

Why Kirsten loves it

A #tradwife murder mystery from the amazing Jo Piazza? Yes, please!!! Jo is a genre-shape shifter who can effortlessly amp up the suspense factor while pulling back the curtain of influencing. I’m not sure what impressed me more, that BANANAS ending or the social commentary on Tradwives and the lies we are all sold by the influencers of the world.

This is the chocolate-covered bonbon of a book that only Jo could write. I guarantee you will be on the edge of your seat as you reevaluate all you know about influencers.

Find this book in: Beach Reads 2025

Party of Liars

Author: Kelsey Cox

Year: 2025

Genre: Thriller

Spice Rating:💋

Age Range: 18+

Plot

This novel is a locked-room mystery where everyone has a motive and not everyone will make it out alive. It is Sophie Matthews’s sixteenth birthday party in a huge, renovated, once-haunted mansion. The black-tie affair should be a night to remember and it will be but for a different reason – because someone has been murdered…. and one of the party guests did it!

Why Kirsten loves it

With multiple narrators ALL lying, this story will keep you guessing until the end – both with who was killed and who is the killer! I couldn’t read this fantastic book fast enough. The drama was intense, secrets were unraveled throughout the entire story and I did NOT see the ending coming! #gifted by MacMillan

Find this book in: Unreliable Narrators / Full Cast Audiobooks / Beach Reads 2025

Until Alison

Author: Kate Russo

Year: 2025

Genre: Thriller

Spice Rating:💋

Age Range: 15+

Plot

Alison was the heir to Maine’s largest construction company when she was found dead in Pleasant Pond. Rachel is on the school paper and is tasked with investigating the murder with her journalism crew. She underplays the complicated and unhealthy relationship she had with Alison when they were younger

She also thinks she may be the last person to see Alison alive the night before she died. She knows she saw Alison with someone, but can she trust her own memory?

The story moves back and forth between the present and the past when Alison and Rachel were in school together when they were younger.

Trigger Warnings

Death, gaslighting, and Alcohol use

Why Jackie likes it

I have a hard time reading books with unreliable narrators, but this one was a pleasant surprise. As the story develops, the reader sees the beginning of the alcohol abuse and the reasons for it. The characters are deeper than they seem, and there is great character development

Find this book in: Books Set in Maine

The Woman in Suite 11

Author: Ruth Ware

Genre: Thriller

Release Date: July 8

More info: Follow-up to the New York Times Bestseller The Woman in Cabin 10

Plot

Lo Blacklock is invited to the grand opening of a luxury hotel in Switzerland owned by a reclusive billionaire, Marcus Leidmann. She is hoping to get an interview with him to revive her journalism career. When she arrives at his hotel room, she is greeted by a woman who says she is Marcus’s mistress and her life is in danger. Soon Lo finds herself traveling across Europe while trying to save the woman’s wife. But can she be trusted, and what is she willing to sacrifice?

You Belong Here

Author: Megan Miranda

Genre: Thriller

Release Date: July 29, 2025

More info: New York Times Bestselling Author of The Last House Guest (a Reese Book Club Pick)

Plot

Beckett Bowrey is determined never to return to her hometown of Wyatt Valley, Virginia because of a tragedy in her senior year of College. After two local men were found dead, her roommate went on the run and has not been seen since. When Beckett’s daughter, Delilah secretly applies to Wyatt College and receives a full scholarship, Beckett fears for her daughter’s safety.

This Stays Between Us

Author: Sara Ochs

Genre: Thriller

Release Date: July 15, 2025

More info: Dual Timeline

Plot

Ten years ago, Pheobe went missing on a study abroad program to Australia with her best friend Claire. Now, Pheobe’s body has been found and while everyone in the group has secrets, Claire has the most to lose. She must make sure that nobody discovers she killed her best friend.

The Game is Murder

Author: Hazell Ward

Genre: Mystery

Release Date: July 29, 2025

More info: Immersive murder mystery

Plot

I cannot wait to get my hands on this book and I am determined to solve the case! The reader is put into the role of Great Detective. We must solve the case from the evidence and witness testimony. I cannot think of anything more delightful!!!

Savvy Summers and the Sweet Potato Crimes

Author: Sandra Jackson-Opoku

Genre: Mystery

Release Date: July 29, 2025

More info: Debut Mystery

Plot

Savvy Summers opened her restaurant, Essie’s, she hoped it would be a south-side Chicago favorite. When Grady Jaspers dies while eating her sweet potato pie, she is now in the press for all the wrong reasons. Can she solve the murder and find out who killed Grady before her business is ruined?

Mean Moms

Author: Emma Rosenblum

Genre: Satire Mystery

Release Date: July 29, 2025

Spice Rating: 💋💋💋

Age Rating: 18+

Plot

Rich, obnoxious, socialite moms of Manhattan meet their match when a new mom joins their clique and bad things start happening. Spanning one year at the elite New York City private school Atherton Academy, the antics of the uber-rich are exposed as nefarious happenings keep impacting Frost, Morgan, Sofia, and Belle.

From spas being burgled to dress launches gone awry, the women soon start to suspect they are being targeted – but by whom and above all, WHY?

Why Kirsten likes it

This was a fun satire of the rich mom problems of Manhattan’s elite – a grown-up Gossip Girl, if you will. It was entertaining, but not as much as Rosenblum’s Very Bad Company, and wildly over the top. Rosenblum’s stories always make for fun beach reads, and this is no exception, though I found my mind wandering at times throughout the story. I did enjoy the narrative element of seeing what was happening with each mom through the year – and that twist ending I DID NOT see coming!

Find this book in: Books Set in New York

Maid for Each Other

Author: Lynn Painter

Year: 2025

Genre: Romance

More info: New York Times Bestselling author of Happily Never After

Spice Rating:💋💋

Age Range: 18+

Plot

Abi is a student and cleaner who is forced to evacuate her house due to an infestation and cannot afford a hotel. She knows that the owner of a penthouse she cleans is out of town and decides to stay at his house while he is away.

It is all going fine until his parents come to the apartment and think she is Declan’s girlfriend. He decides to make a proposition- pretend they are together to get his parents off his back, and he will pay for all her living expenses during the arrangement. But soon, Abi and Declan start to actually feel things for each other and the arrangement becomes complicated.

Why Jackie loves it

This book gave me “Pretty Woman” vibes, even though Vivienne and Abi have different professions. Two rich men who want to employ a smart woman as a no-drama girlfriend. This book was sweet and fun. I liked Declan and appreciated he was written as a respectful, thoughtful character- I was not uncomfortable with the power dynamic. Thank you Berkley for my copy of this book. #gifted

Find this book in: Best Beach Reads 2025

Overruled

Author: Lana Ferguson

Genre: Romance

Release Date: July 1, 2025

More info: USA Today bestselling author of The Game Changer

Plot

Danica Pierce is a divorce attorney who has a shot at making partner with her current case. The only problem is that she has been sleeping with the enemy. Ezra Hart has agreed to keep things purely physical with Danica but he wants more.

Let’s Make a Scene

Author: Laura Wood

Genre: Romance

Release Date: July 1

More info: Companion Novel to Under Your Spell

Plot

Cynthia and Jack launched their careers with a movie that became a cult classic. Thirteen years later the studio wants them to make a sequel. The problem? They cannot stand each other and their relationship during the first movie was a PR stunt. Now, in order to make the sequel, they have to rekindle the fake relationship with a film crew following them around! What if they cannot distinguish between real and fake?

Where You’re Planted

Author: Melanie Sweeney

Year: 2025

Genre: Romance

Spice Rating:💋💋💋

Age Range: 18+

Plot

Tansy Perkins is a librarian and single mom. When a hurricane damages her library, she has to set up a temporary branch in the county botanical gardens. Jack Reid is the assistant director and a grouchy person on a regular day, but when librarians take over his space, he is even more of a curmudgeon.

Jack and Tansy need to work together on the spring festival to raise money. They need to get the library back in working order and restore the plants that were destroyed in the hurricane. Soon sparks fly in this steamy, grumpy-sunshine romance.

Trigger Warnings

Hurricane and aftermath

Why Jackie loves it

Tansy is optimistic without being unrealistic. I liked that she felt like a real person with real problems so I was rooting for her to find love and a happy ending!

Find this book in: Grumpy Sunshine Trope Books / Best Beach Reads 2025

The Spirit of Love

Author: Lauren Kate

Genre: Romance

Release Date: July 1

More info: New York Times Bestselling author

Plot

This looks like a totally unique, time-slip romance and I cannot wait to read it! One man is split into two versions of himself. Sam is young and carefree and gives Fenny one amazing night together; and Jude, an older, jaded man who has just replaced Fenny as the director on the TV show she has written for the last ten years. If Sam and Jude are the same man, can Fenny help put them back together?

Totally and Completely Fine: A Novel

Author: Elissa Sussman

Genre: Romance

Release Date: July 8, 2025

More info: Dual Timeline narrative

Plot

Lauren Parker is a widowed single mother with a very famous brother. When she meets Ben Walsh, a very good-looking actor, on the set of her brother’s movie, sparks fly. But navigating a relationship with a famous actor in a small town with a daughter is complicated. The story alternates between Laura’s life in the present and in the past with Spencer. I cannot wait to read this pick from the July 2025 book releases

The Chancellor’s Mansion: A Renovation of Family, Home, History, and Mystery

Author: Jamie Arty, Susannah Charleson

Year: 2025

Genre: Nonfiction

Age Range: 14+

Plot

This is the fantastic true story of William Townsend McCoun’s mansion built in Oyster Bay, Long Island. When Jamie and Frantz Arty bought the empty property, they decided to restore it to its former glory at the height of the pandemic. They made some amazing discoveries about the house’s history along the way.

Trigger Warnings

Slavery

Why Kirsten loves it

Inside this book, you’ll get to see photos inside of the home and Arty family’s life during the restoration process, but I loved how Arty also shares sketches and information about the former owners. I’ve never read a renovation story quite like this one that marries the newly learned house history with the renovation struggles along the way. I was immersed in the story and quickly started hunting down even more information about Jamie Arty and her gorgeous home.

Find this book in: Best Beach Reads 2025

The CIA Book Club

Author: Charlie English

Genre: Nonfiction

Release Date: July 1, 2025

Plot

This is the amazing true story of the CIA’s program to smuggle books through the Iron Curtain to help win the Cold War. This is a book that is truly about the importance of literature and the written word. I could not agree more!

Codebreaker

Author: Jay Martel

Genre: YA thriller

Release Date: July 22, 2025

More info: Interactive

Plot

This is another interactive thriller book. Do I sense a new trend in publishing? Mia Hayes’s life is turned upside-down when her father becomes a fugitive. Now, Mia is in a race to find the clues her father has left to stay ahead of the government and save the country.

Glorious Rivals

Author: Jennifer Lynn Barnes

Genre: YA Mystery

Release Date: July 29, 2025

More info: The Grandest Game, 2

Plot

Seven players all want to win the Grandest game. Millions of dollars will go to the winner, but there is so much on the line for them all. I cannot wait to read this pick from the July 2025 book releases. The last book left me on a cliff-hanger!

Soul of Shadow: A Novel

Author: Emma Noyes

Genre: YA Fantasy

Release Date: July 29, 2025

Plot

This pick from the July 2025 book releases is inspired by Norse mythology and I cannot wait to read it. Charlie is a junior trying to survive school when a classmate goes missing. Soon, she is drawn into a world of secrets and mythical beings. When Elias comes to the school, she is intrigued and drawn to his secrets.

Immortal Consequences

Author: I.V. Marie

Genre: YA Fantasy

Release Date: July 29, 2025

Plot

Six students at Blackwood Academy are competing in a once-a-decade competition. The school is located on the edge of the afterlife and the winner can choose to become the magical elite or cross to the other side. There can only be one victor and all the students have something to hide and their reasons to win.