Jul 15

Jul 15 Books Publishing this Week

It’s a warm afternoon in mid-July, the kind of day that settles over everything like a warm, lazy sigh. The sun is high and unhurried, casting a golden glow across the pool deck, making the water shimmer and the concrete warm beneath your feet. You slip off your sandals and stretch out on a lounge chair, grateful for the gentle breeze that moves through the air, just enough to keep the heat from settling too heavily on your skin.

Your towel is soft beneath you, slightly damp from an earlier swim, and beside you on a small table sits a colorful bowl of freshly cut fruit—juicy watermelon cubes, plump blueberries, slices of mango, a few strawberries nestled on top. Next to that, a smoothie glistens in a tall glass, frosty and thick, the kind that takes a few sips to even get started. It tastes like summer—bright, cool, and just a little sweet.

In your lap is the book you’ve been saving, the one you brought specifically for this day. You run your fingers over the cover, still cool from sitting in the shade, and crack it open for the first time. There’s something sacred about that first page, the quiet promise of getting lost in someone else’s world while the sun traces its arc above you.

The pool around you hums with soft, ambient life. A few kids splash and laugh in the shallow end, their joyful chaos muted by the distance. Someone plays music from a speaker—a mellow playlist that fades in and out between tracks. You can hear the occasional flutter of pages as someone nearby flips through a magazine, the gentle slosh of water as someone else slips into the pool.

But you’re in your own world now.

The book draws you in easily, each sentence unfurling like the ripple of sunlight across the water. The story takes its time, and so do you. Every few pages, you pause to reach for a piece of fruit, the cool sweetness of mango melting on your tongue, or take a long sip of your smoothie, its chill spreading through your chest like a quiet thrill.

You shift in your chair, tucking your legs beneath you, the towel soft and warm against your skin. The breeze lifts the corners of the pages, and you hold them down gently, as if anchoring the story to this place, this moment. The characters are starting to come to life now, their voices distinct, their secrets hinted at. The setting is vivid enough to match the one you’re in, and you let yourself sink into the dual worlds—the one on the page and the one spread out around you in heat and light and sound.

The sun continues its slow drift, and the shadows on the pool deck shift, stretching long and lazy. The ice in your smoothie melts a little faster now, but you don’t mind. You take your time, soaking in the story as much as the sun, pausing now and then to glance up and watch the shimmer of the water or the way the trees sway in the breeze.

You’re completely unbothered by time. There are no tasks pressing at the edges of your mind, no to-do lists waiting impatiently in your pocket. Just the book, the fruit, the sun, the sound of summer unfolding all around you. You read another chapter, then another, feeling the story build slowly, beautifully, like a perfect summer day.

Eventually, you’ll tuck the book back into your bag, gather your things, and wander back indoors, a little sun-kissed, a little sticky from the fruit, and completely full in the best possible way. But for now, you’re content. This afternoon belongs to you and the story you’ve just begun—cool smoothie in hand, sun on your skin, and a world unfolding on the page.

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Books Publishing July 13 - 29, 2025

Wayward Girls by Susan Wiggs

"After decades of bestsellers, Wayward Girls might be Susan Wiggs' opus. A gut-wrenching story of survival, friendship, and justice. Masterful."--Robert Dugoni, New York Times bestselling author of The Extraordinary Life of Sam Hell

"The magnificent Susan Wiggs takes a leap into the history of women..a page-turner, replete with mystery and suspense."—Adriana Trigiani, New York Times bestselling author of The Good Left Undone

From New York Times bestselling author Susan Wiggs, a wrenching but life-affirming novel based on a true story of survival, friendship, and redemption. Set in the turbulent Vietnam era in the All-American city of Buffalo, New York, six girls are condemned to forced labor in the laundry of a Catholic reform school.

In 1968 we meet six teens confined at the Good Shepherd—a dark and secretive institution controlled by Sisters of Charity nuns—locked awaymerely for being gay, pregnant, or simply unruly.

Mairin— free-spirited daughter of Irish immigrants, committed to keep her safe from her stepfather.

Angela—denounced for her attraction to girls, sent to the nuns for reform, but instead found herself the victim of a predator.

Helen—the daughter of intellectuals detained in Communist China, she saw her “temporary” stay at the Good Shepherd stretch into years.

Odessa—caught up in a police dragnet over a racial incident, she found the physical and mental toughness to endure her sentence.

Denise—sentenced for brawling in a foster home, she dared to dream of a better life.

Janice—deeply insecure, she couldn’t decide where her loyalty lay—except when it came to her friend Kay, who would never outgrow her childlike dependency.

Sister Bernadette—rescued from a dreadful childhood, she owed her loyalty to the Sisters of Charity even as her conscience weighed on her.

Wayward Girls is a haunting but thrilling tale of hope, solidarity, and the enduring strength of young women who find the courage to break free and find redemption...and justice.

"Wayward girls is all about the power of female bonds...this isn't just a moment in time—it's a cautionary tale."—Jodi Picoult, New York Times bestselling author of By Any Other Name

Maid for Each Other by Lynn Painter

Bookish Buys: Happily Never After by Lynn Painter

As a professional cleaner, Abi Mariano never thought her apartment would have any sort of infestation, but because of a building-wide outbreak, she now needs somewhere to stay for a week. As a part-time student with two jobs, she doesn’t have many options. Then the solution presents itself: the owner of the penthouse she cleans is out of town for the week. She normally wouldn’t consider it, but he’s literally never around (she’s never even met him). It goes great…until she comes out of the bedroom one morning to find two strangers in the kitchen. They’re the parents of the penthouse owner and they seem to think they’ve heard all about Abi—not as their son’s maid, but as his girlfriend.

Declan Powell has always put his career first, working his way up to executive vice president at Hathaway Holdings, but he still has his eyes set on the next level. When his parents mention they met his girlfriend Abi, he all but chokes on his escargot. As great as it sounds that she was just darling, he doesn’t actually have a girlfriend—he made her up to get everyone off his back. When Dex finds out who Abi really is, he makes her a proposition: pretend to date him, and he’ll provide everything she needs during their little arrangement. What harm would it do? It’s purely business, no pleasure…right?

Wes and Addie Had Their Chance by Bethany Turner

Author Interview with Bethany Turner

Wes left Addie at the altar two decades ago . . . and that was supposed to be the end of the story.

When her life crashes and burns in a flurry of secrets and redacted information, Addie Atwater-Elwyn hightails it home to the tiny mountain town of Adelaide Springs, Colorado--back to living with her dad, back to working a low-paying job, back to a life of disappointments. Growing up, nobody expected their local girl to become a high-ranking CIA analyst, married to a gorgeous CIA operative. But that was Addie's life until she lost . . . well, everything.

Now she's trying to pick up the pieces of her broken life with a little help from old friends. But there's one old friend she knows her life is better without--Wesley Hobbes, her childhood sweetheart who left her standing at the altar when they were eighteen years old. Truth be told, Addie would be perfectly content never seeing Wes's stupid face ever again--which makes it very inconvenient that he's now a beloved senator and presidential frontrunner, his face everywhere she looks. But that has nothing to do with Addie personally. He might make history, but in her book, he is history.

So, when the unwelcome Wes appears back in their hometown, no one rolls out the red carpet--not Addie and not an entire town that was forced to pick sides (and unanimously chose Addie) decades ago. Senator Hobbes certainly won't win the popular vote in Adelaide Springs.

Wes, meanwhile, is sitting on a few secrets of his own, including the political scoop of the decade: he'd seriously rather gouge his eyes out than spend another minute in politics, much less ever go anywhere near the White House. Addie knows there has to be more to the story, and her curiosity is clouding her judgment. You can take the girl out of the CIA, but it's not so easy to shake the CIA out of the girl. Of course, it's not just curiosity (and the acknowledgement that his face isn't so stupid after all) that's been reawakened inside her. But after more than two decades, it's too late. Wes and Addie already had their chance. Right?

Matchmaking for Psychopaths by Tasha Coryell

An unbelievably gripping, completely original novel about a woman working as a matchmaker for a very specific clientele—psychopaths—who finds herself in danger...from the bestselling author behind Love Letters to a Serial Killer.

Lexie was expecting a nice evening with her fiancé for her birthday. Instead, her best friend is sitting next to her man, and what’s worse: They’re in love.

To escape her relationship troubles, Lexie throws herself into her job where she works as a matchmaker for psychopaths—a label that the clients themselves are unaware of—and becomes entangled with two of her most recent clients, both of whom have mysterious pasts that inspire Lexie to breech work protocol and spend time with them outside of the office. One of them, Rebecca, becomes a candidate to take on the role of Lexie's new best friend, while the other, Aidan, claims that he and Lexie are soulmates and meant to be together despite her insistence that her significant other is going to return in time for their scheduled wedding.

When her fiancé goes missing and threatening packages begin arriving at her doorstep, Lexie has to figure out who is trying to target her and how it relates to her own dark past. Can she trust her instincts as a matchmaker or has she set herself up with her enemy?

Mrs. Plansky Goes Rogue by Spencer Quinn

This tale of the irresistible and unforgettable Mrs. Plansky, "a terrific character" (Stephen King), will lead her up and down coastal Florida and beyond in a brand-new, whirlwind adventure, Mrs. Plansky Goes Rogue!

Mrs. Plansky is fresh off of winning a thrilling senior tennis championship with her doubles partner, Kev Dinardo, and is gearing up to celebrate with him on his yacht. That is, until the yacht is destroyed in a fire. Kev claims the fire was caused by a lightning strike, pure bad luck, but there's one small problem—Mrs. Plansky didn't see any lightning.

Already certain there's more going on than she's being told, Mrs. Plansky's curiosity turns to concern when Kev goes missing. Her suspicion gets the better of her and leads her to break into his house, only to find it ransacked.

But Kev isn't the only person Mrs. Plansky has to worry about. A conversation with her dad reveals that not long ago, he'd introduced Kev to Jack, Mrs. Plansky's wayward tennis pro son. And now, her dad—distracted by arrangements for his upcoming wedding—either can't remember or has no interest in divulging any details.

Worse? Now Jack has gone missing, too.

How to Sell a Romance by Alexa Martin

Emerson Pierce loves everything about being a kindergarten teacher except the painfully low salary. It isn’t until she hears about Petunia Lemon—an opportunity to sell makeup products, make some extra money, and meet a group of skin-care aficionados—that she begins to see the light at the end of the tunnel. Sure, it sounds a little too good to be true, but what’s the worst that could happen?

Investigative reporter Lucas Miller didn’t always have a chip on his shoulder...until his wife joined Petunia Lemon, drained their savings, and filed for divorce. Now he’s a little bitter, a lot single, and determined to expose the company. After infiltrating their largest convention yet, the last thing he expects is to lose sight of his mission for one night with the gorgeous woman at the bar.

When Emerson and Lucas learn that she’s his daughter’s teacher, they decide to ignore their scorching chemistry. Until things with Petunia Lemon turn downright diabolical and Emerson turns to Lucas for help. They work together to bring the company down but can the two come out on top in this pyramid scheme of love?

A Witch's Guide to Magical Innkeeping by Sangu Mandanna

Author Interview with Sangu Mandanna

A whimsical and heartwarming novel about a witch who has a second chance to get her magical powers—and her life—back on track, from the national bestselling author of The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches.

Sera Swan used to be one of the most powerful witches in Britain. Then she resurrected her great-aunt Jasmine from the (very recently) dead, lost most of her magic, befriended a semi-villainous talking fox, and was exiled from her Guild. Now she (slightly reluctantly and just a bit grumpily) helps Jasmine run an enchanted inn in Lancashire, where she deals with her quirky guests' shenanigans, tries to keep said talking fox in check, and longs for the future that seems lost to her. But then she finds out about an old spell that could hold the key to restoring her power…

Enter Luke Larsen, handsome and icy magical historian, who arrives on a dark winter evening and just might know how to unlock the spell’s secrets. Luke has absolutely no interest in getting involved in the madcap goings-on of the inn and is definitely not about to let a certain bewitching innkeeper past his walls, so no one is more surprised than he is when he agrees to help Sera with her spell. Worse, he might actually be thawing.

Running an inn, reclaiming lost magic, and staying one step ahead of the watchful Guild is a lot for anyone, but Sera Swan is about to discover that she doesn’t have to do it alone...and that the weird, wonderful family she’s made might be the best magic of all.

The Felons' Ball by Polly Stewart

With her last novel, the widely loved debut thriller The Good Ones, writer Polly Stewart demonstrated her talents at capturing the dark underside of small-town Southern life and how those forces affect women. With her exciting new novel The Felons' Ball, Stewart takes a leap forward, demonstrating the same skill for storytelling, while bringing to vivid life the seedy underbelly of a small Southern town and one of its corrupt families, with a story loosely based on the real Murdaugh family in South Carolina. While The Good Ones was a novel of domestic suspense, THE FELONS’ BALL falls squarely into Southern noir territory (works by S.E. Cosby, Attica Locke, James Lee Burke, and others).

Roll For Romance by Lenora Woods

Two fledgling tabletop gamers find themselves falling for each other—both in and out of their weekly D&D sessions—in this charming, fantasy-tinged romance.

When Sadie Brooks unexpectedly loses her marketing job, she flees New York City to spend the summer with her best friend in small-town Texas, where joining his Dungeons & Dragons campaign is the perfect distraction while she plans her next steps.

In the game, she becomes Jaylie, a powerful human cleric blessed by the Goddess of Luck. But in real life, Sadie believes her luck has run out—until she meets Noah Walker, the outgoing bartender roped into joining their party as Loren, an adventurous and charismatic lute-strumming elf. Just as Jaylie finds herself succumbing to the bard’s charms over the course of their party’s travels, Sadie also begins to fall under Noah’s spell.

As their relationship progresses in both worlds, Sadie wonders if what they have might last beyond the game. But like his traveling bard character, Noah never stays in one place for long. When a new opportunity arises in New York, Sadie must face the truth about why she lost her job in the first place—and whether she and Noah have found something in Texas worth staying for. Torn between her career dreams in the city and the exciting uncertainty of a new adventure, she will have no choice but to roll the dice.

Monopoly X by Philip E. Orbanes

Author Interview with Philip E. Orbanes

Monopoly X is the fascinating true story of what is arguably the most unusual and daring secret operation of World War II. The masterminds at England’s top-secret MI-9, and later America’s MIS-X, created a special version of the popular game, hiding tools, maps, and money within game boards—delivered by an unwitting Red Cross—to captured Allied servicemen held at gunpoint behind barbed wire in German prison camps. This ingenious and complex plot, dubbed “Monopoly X,” was never discovered by the Nazis and led to successful Allied breakouts.

The creation and success of Monopoly X remained a deep secret through the war and for decades after, until now. For the first time, Phillip E. Orbanes tells the full story of the breadth and depth of this clandestine program—how it was devised, implemented, and used to great success. A tale of derring-do as compelling as the World War II classic, The Great Escape, Monopoly X is an amazing war story of Allied intelligence services, resistance forces in Europe, heroes and heroines, a notorious traitor, and the pivotal role a ubiquitous board game had in secret codes and espionage.

The Odds of Getting Even by Amanda Sellet

A fling with a mysterious stranger leads to a rollicking adventure in the wilds of South Dakota in this madcap and romantic follow-up to Amanda Sellet’s Hate to Fake it to You.

The last thing reluctant resort employee Jean Harrington expected to find on a middle-of-the-night towel run was a bashful scientist in desperate need of company . . . and clothes. Charmed by his awkwardness and endearing tangents about reptiles, she returns the next day to give the handsome mystery guest she knows only as “Charlie” lessons in poker.

He’s reserved and she’s chaotic, but together, the two of them just click. It’s like a honeymoon without the hassle of a wedding, until Jean discovers there’s a lot more to Charlie’s story than shyness and snakes—and she isn’t the only person with a pressing interest in his whereabouts, not to mention his secretly scandalous dating history.

When Charlie has the audacity to abandon her without a word, Jean has a score to settle. She’ll do whatever it takes to get him back—no, get back at him—even if it means chasing him across an ocean to brave the wild west of his remote hometown, and the famous family business he neglected to mention. With flames from their pasts raising the stakes, Jean is gambling she can get the upper hand before Charlie calls her bluff.

The real trick will be remembering what they’re playing for, when the biggest risk is putting all their cards on the table.

Haggard House by Elisabeth Rhoads

1859. The village of Nomaton, Michigan.

After a reclusive childhood within the dank walls of Haggard House, Adam Bolton, at the age of eleven, is finally allowed to attend the village school, providing he obeys his mother, Sarai's, injunction. Against all outward influence, he must: “Keep to the straight and narrow.” m his bright-eyed, bright-spirited classmate. Frightened of the consequences their friendship threatens, Adam builds another Haggard House—only this one in his mind—and keeps Penny there, safe from his zealot mother; safe from himself.

Only, secrets, Adam ought to know, belong to God. Restless and heartsore, Adam’s narrow path suddenly widens. Now a young man, he finds himself traveling West, meeting the world for the first time, a difficult place to keep promises.

Burning with the flame of free will, Adam can no longer restrain himself from the woman he loves. But as he returns to Nomaton, so does Sarai’s dark influence, and Adam is forced to face the decaying house within—a house ready to collapse at any moment.

Writers and Liars by Carol Goodman

THE STRANGER BEHIND YOU by Carol Goodman

In the latest thrilling suspense novel from Mary Higgins Clark Award–winning author Carol Goodman, a group of mystery authors gathers on a secluded Greek island for a writers retreat, only to discover that their enigmatic host has been murdered and everyone present is a suspect.

They’ll kill for inspiration…

Fifteen years ago, Maia Gold attended a prestigious—and very exclusive—writers retreat hosted by billionaire Argos Alexander on the Greek island of Eris. It’s where she wrote her first book, the one that should have launched a brilliant career. But something dark happened on that island, a betrayal that has hung over Maia ever since.

Now, Maia finds a familiar envelope in the mail. It’s an invitation to return to Eris, and according to social media, she’s not the only one from that first retreat who’s been invited back. This could be the second chance Maia needs to jump-start her dreams. A chance for reconciliation… or revenge.

Almost all of the writers from fifteen years before have returned to Eris, bringing unresolved resentments with them. Soon, the guests learn that their illustrious host is absent, though he has left instructions for them to participate in a contest: whoever can write the most suspenseful mystery while on the island will win a fortune and literary acclaim. But this is no harmless game—when the guests gather in the morning to share their first chapters, they find Argos Alexander, dead.

Tensions simmer as the guests try to determine who’s capable of murder, not just on the page, but in real life. On an island full of mystery writers, anyone could be the killer—and anyone could be the next victim. Trapped together until the next boat arrives from the mainland, they must sort out old grievances and figure out how to trust one another... or die one by one.

Lucky Break by Jaclyn Westlake

When a spate of bad luck upends her meticulously planned life, Eliza moves to a charming—and mysterious—Midwestern lake town, where she just might find herself while trying to find the truth. Perfect for fans of Beth O’Leary, Katherine Center, and Sophie Kinsella.

Eliza has always had a plan…until her seamlessly plotted life implodes, and her engagement falls apart. At thirty-two, she suddenly finds herself second-guessing the picture-perfect future she had always envisioned—one that included raising 2.5 children nearby her tight-knit Italian family in San Francisco.

Then Eliza is offered the chance to start over: in Juneberry Lake, a small Midwestern town eager to lure remote workers to their picturesque community. Shocking her family and friends (and herself), Eliza packs up her apartment and buys a lake house sight unseen.

Juneberry Lake is as delightful as it looked in the pictures. And the pictures didn’t even include Joel, a fellow new arrival who works alongside her every day in an adorable coffee shop. But if Eliza is hoping to spy her uncertain future in the shimmering waters of Juneberry Lake, she’ll find herself out of luck. Because her friendly Midwestern neighbors are keeping a marvelous secret—one that will help Eliza see that her recent spate of bad luck was never her fault…and that the tide can turn when you least expect it. With the help of her friends and family, new and old, Eliza is finally ready to build a new future that’s entirely her own.

Lootie's World Run: The Extraordinary True Story of the Fastest Woman to Have Run Around the World by Marie Leautey

Imagine completing a marathon every day for two and a half years. Solo. Self-supported. Through a global pandemic.

Across four continents and 680 marathons, Marie Leautey faced scorching deserts, icy mountains, and the solitude of the open road. She braved blistering heat in Australia, navigated the Andes in South America, and traversed the vastness of North America. Each sunrise brought a new landscape, a new challenge, and a renewed test of her unwavering resolve.

Marie paints a unique and rich sensorial experience of the world. She recounts the extraordinary encounters and kindness from strangers, the unexpected connections she forged and her profound appreciation for the beauty and diversity of our planet.

Lootie’s World Run is more than just a story of physical endurance. It’s a breathtaking journey of self-discovery, an ode to the human spirit, and a testament to the power of perseverance. It’s a story about facing your fears, embracing the unknown, and finding the extraordinary within one's self.

Fateless by Julie Kagawa

Deep in the forgotten city of the Deathless Kings, an ancient relic of untold power waits—for one bold enough to steal it.
When seventeen-year-old Sparrow joined the Thieves Guild she made a vow of binding loyalty to their cause. So when a mission comes along from The Circle, a group of mysterious, dangerous beings who control the Thieves Guild from the shadows, Sparrow is determined to cement her place in the guild.
What ensues is a death-defying adventure that has Sparrow and her band of thieves venturing into the heart of the forgotten city of the Deathless King. The fate of Sparrow, her companions, and Raithe, the enigmatic yet alluring assassin Sparrow is forced to join forces with during their quest, all hang in the balance as they find themselves battling ancient forces within the tombs and facing the unwavering hold of fate.
Perfect for fans of Alexandra Bracken and Sabaa Tahir, this new fantasy trilogy from New York Times bestselling author Julie Kagawa will sweep readers into a bold and exciting new world, where a twisted game of destiny has far-reaching consequences.

When Forty Blooms by Jacinta Howard

A rare birthday. A second chance. A woman finally choosing herself.

Simone Harris has always known how to hold it down. For her son. For her clients. For the sports agency she built from scratch. She keeps things running, keeps herself moving, and keeps her heart tucked safely out of reach.

But this birthday feels different. It falls on a leap year, a date that only circles back every so often. A rare kind of day that feels like it arrives exactly when it’s meant to. The kind that makes you pause and ask what you have been pushing through just to keep going. In that stillness, something begins to surface alongside it. Fatigue. Questions. The quiet ache she has learned to ignore.

She is not falling apart. Still, something is shifting. The pressure she has lived under feels heavier than it once did. And as she begins to listen to what her spirit has been trying to say, the past reappears, bringing with it a familiar comfort, unfinished conversations, and a quiet invitation to feel again.

Three Shattered Souls by Mai Corland

Some betrayals cut deeper than blades.

The Blades were never supposed to survive this long. But after the battle in Quu Harbor, escaping is no longer enough. The most dangerous liars in the four realms have one last mission―return to Yusan and finish what they started.

But now a usurper sits on the serpent throne. And he may be more dangerous than the god-king.

With three relics of the Dragon Lord in their possession, the Blades will face the might of the four realms. Enemies will become allies. Allies will become traitors. And the ones they love most? They’ll be the ones to break them.

Grief will carve the Blades into something ruthless and unrecognizable. But only by losing everything can they win this game of kings and crowns.

The Reluctant Flirt by Jennifer Probst

Author Interview with Jennifer Probst

Just one night…

After discovering her husband’s affair, Sierra Lourde flees to New York City for a little damage control—and a lot of wine. A tipsy night in a bar with a charming stranger seems like the perfect way to forget her troubles. No names, no promises, just one night to escape reality and regain her confidence. The next morning, mortified by her vulnerability, she flees without looking back. But who needs closure, right?

But one night changes everything…

Sierra has reinvented herself as the proud owner of Flirt, a trendy boutique in the Outer Banks. Life is good—until Kane Masterson, the man she left behind, walks back into town. And of course, he’s now the developer whose big new project threatens to bulldoze her beloved shop. Kane needs this deal to save his career, but Sierra’s not about to let him demolish her hard-won success.

With sparks flying, sarcastic jabs turning into lingering looks, and a family wedding forcing them into close quarters, Sierra and Kane find themselves tangled in a battle of wills—and hearts. But now he has to choose: reclaim his career or risk everything for a second chance with the one woman he can’t forget.

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