Jul 29

Jul 29 Books Publishing this Week [July 27 - August 2]

It’s a bright morning in late July, the kind of summer day that practically insists you slow down and savor it. You arrive early enough that the beach is still quiet, only a few scattered umbrellas dotting the sand, the hush of the waves greeting you like an old friend. You can feel the warmth of the sun rising steadily in the sky, promising a hot afternoon but offering you, right now, this perfect golden hour.

You pick your spot carefully—a place where the sand is soft and pale, not too close to the tide but close enough to hear the waves break and rush back, over and over in that soothing rhythm. You plant your beach chair firmly in the sand, adjusting it until it reclines just so, and sink into it with a sigh of satisfaction. Your oversized straw sun hat shades your face, its wide brim casting a dappled circle of shadow that moves slightly with the breeze. It’s a little dramatic, this hat, and that’s part of why you love it—it feels like an invitation to take the business of relaxing very seriously.

In front of you, the water is impossibly clear. It shifts through shades of turquoise and deep sea green, the morning sun reflecting off the gentle waves in brilliant flecks of light. A few swimmers drift lazily further down the shore, their laughter carried in brief, friendly bursts. You dig your bare toes into the cool sand beneath your chair, wiggling them around until they’re buried, a small, grounding pleasure.

You reach into your bag and pull out the book you’ve been waiting to start. It’s brand new, the spine uncreased, the pages fresh and promising. You run a thumb over the cover, smiling at the anticipation of it, the delicious uncertainty of a new world waiting to unfold. This is exactly why you saved it for today—because there’s something about a summer morning at the beach that feels like it was made for beginnings.

You open it, tilt your hat lower to shade the glare, and begin to read. The first lines greet you like a whispered invitation, pulling you in gently but firmly. The world around you—the rolling crash of waves, the caw of distant gulls, the rustle of palm fronds in the breeze—becomes the perfect soundtrack to the story. It feels like the book and the beach are conspiring to offer you a rare kind of peace.

You turn the pages slowly at first, savoring the language, the careful way the author introduces you to new characters and places. Every few minutes, you pause to lift your gaze and watch the water shifting, glittering. The horizon stretches out endlessly, making your problems feel appropriately small. The hat’s brim moves slightly with each breath of wind, and you tuck it back into place absently, your other hand holding the book open against the breeze.

You lose yourself for a while, the real world shrinking as the one on the page expands. You shift in your chair, stretching your legs, brushing sand from your ankle, and keep reading. Maybe you take a sip from your cold water bottle, beads of condensation wetting your fingers. Maybe you smile to yourself when the story surprises you or pause to reread a sentence that feels too beautiful to rush through.

The sun rises higher, the light brightening, and you feel its warmth soak into your shoulders and legs, the hat still casting its protective circle of shade over your face. Around you, the beach grows busier—but you hardly notice. You’re too caught up in the world of your book, your toes in the sand, the breeze on your skin, and the sound of crystal-clear water stretching out forever in front of you.

It’s exactly the morning you hoped for. And as you turn another page, you know there’s nowhere else you’d rather be.

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Books Publishing July 27 - August 2, 2025

Painted Dreams by Darlene Deluca

Katlyn Andrews is a talented artist on her way to fulfilling a dream—her own show at a New York City gallery. Focused on her career, she’s ditched her hometown of Denver for the bright lights of the Big Apple. When she’s drawn back to check on her beloved grandmother, she finds a surprise—Nick Summers, a woodworker bidding on a job at her parents’ upscale home. Nick’s gorgeous smile and easy-going manner charm Kat. Too bad he lives in Colorado.

Nick adores the mountains of Colorado, but NYC is on his radar. He’s auditioning to be a guest host on a home-builders network there. Since that’s a long shot, he’s still pounding the pavement closer to home to secure jobs like the high-end Andrews project. Meeting his client’s intriguing daughter has his thoughts going in other directions. Too bad she lives in New York.

But distance can’t dim their undeniable attraction. Unfortunately, it turns out dreams can be shattered. While Nick’s career is on an upward trajectory, Kat’s unexpectedly takes a big hit. Devastated, she struggles to find a path forward. Nick fears her family’s status and wealth keep her from seeing reality—is she reaching for the stars before paying her dues?

In her heart, Kat knows he’s wrong about her…but could her heart be wrong about him?

Strangers and Intimates: The Rise and Fall of Private Life by Tiffany Jenkins

The fascinating story of how private life was won, and how it might just as easily be lost . . .

Private life is in mortal danger, following decades in which it has been relinquished and ransacked. It is threatened by a three-headed monster: state and corporate surveillance, a confessional, "tell-all" culture that makes people complicit in the invasion of their own privacy, and the intense politicization of private life.

Tiffany Jenkins’ groundbreaking book traces the emergence of private sanctuaries from authority and public opinion to show that private life is a very recent – and hard-won – achievement. It also warns that, if we’re not careful, it will be a temporary one.

Strangers and Intimates is animated by dramatic human confrontations: from the political struggles in the seventeenth century that led to Edmund Coke’s rallying cry that "an Englishman’s home is his castle"; to the first modern privacy panic in 1844, when the British government opened private letters sent to the exiled Italian republican Giuseppe Mazzini; and from the embrace by the public of reality TV to the Chinese government’s social credit system.

A private life is a precious, sustaining resource that is of profound intrinsic value, and it must be defended. We won’t know what we have lost until it has gone . . .

We Are the Match by Mary E. Roach

Author Interview with Mary E. Roach

Two women in love and in danger. Mob families at war. An explosive and enthralling contemporary reimagining of the Helen of Troy myth set against the splendor of the Grecian islands.

Paris is a fixer for mob families on the Grecian islands when a powerful crime lord hires her to investigate a bombing. Insinuating herself into Zarek's circle is the chance for revenge that Paris has been waiting for since she was a child. Years ago, Zarek wiped out everyone she loved. Now it's Paris's turn. Her target? Zarek's beautiful daughter, Helen.

Helen wants nothing more than to abandon the violent world in which she was raised--and worse, an arranged marriage to a man she barely knows. In Paris, Helen sees the perfect tool to help her escape. And in Helen, Paris sees a desperate woman who will be the perfect revenge. As the two work together to find the bomber, and their connection becomes increasingly intimate, Zarek's empire grows more fragile and their own bonds of loyalty and purpose are tested.

When murder sends them fleeing to Troy, danger only brings Paris and Helen closer together--in love, in fury, and in the will to survive. If Zarek wants a war, Paris and Helen are ready to ignite it.

The Alchemy of Flowers by Laura Resau

A broken woman. A mysterious job ad. A chance to heal in French castle gardens--but strange things are growing behind the ancient stone walls. This debut adult novel is an enchanting, modern-day take on The Secret Garden, sprinkled with magic. Perfect for fans of Sarah Addison Allen.

Help Wanted: In search of a gardener for the ancient walled Jardins du Paradis in the South of France. Unique and rustic lodging provided. Off the grid in all ways. One must grow flowers from one's merde . . .

Exhausted and broken by loss, Eloise takes the chance of a lifetime to answer an ad in a French gardening magazine. To fly away from her life in the States and tend to both her shattered heart and the flowers of Paradise. And best of all for her . . .

Absolutely no children allowed on the premises.

Within the high garden walls, Eloise starts to learn the strange rules of the elusive estate owner. Living and working in isolation with her three companions, she finds her heart opening again to friendship--and realizes she's drawn to the handyman, Raphael. The flowers whisper to her, enchanting, delighting, healing. But why are the workers forbidden from going out during dusk? Who is the "Goddess of the Garden"? Is her mind playing tricks on her, or does she see a woodsprite flitting through the trees? The giggles and glimpses of a little girl haunt her and make her question: What is real in Paradise and what is illusion?

Eloise tries to rationalize her uneasy feelings and the darkness she uncovers beneath the garden's lush beauty, but as she digs deeper into the mysteries of her sanctuary, she begins to suspect there's a child on the grounds--who may be in danger. When Paradise becomes a deadly prison, she must risk everything to protect her newfound family and claim her second chance at happiness.

She Didn't See It Coming by Shari Lapena

“No one does suburban paranoia like Shari Lapena.” —Ruth Ware

The new gripping novel from the New York Times bestselling author of The Couple Next Door

When a beloved wife and mother disappears, a luxurious condo building transforms into a potential crime scene, and the investigation begins: can the detectives find her before it's too late?

Bryden and Sam have it all: thriving careers, a smart apartment in a luxury condominium, supportive friends and a cherished daughter. The perfect life for the perfect couple.

Then Sam receives a call at his office. Bryden – working from home that day – has failed to collect their daughter from daycare. Arriving home with their little girl, he finds his wife’s car in the underground garage. Upstairs in their apartment her laptop is open on the table, her cell phone nearby, her keys in their usual place in the hall.

Except Bryden is nowhere to be seen. It’s as if she just walked out.

How can she have disappeared from her own home? And did she even leave the building at all?

With every minute that passes – and as questions swirl around their community – Bryden and Sam’s past seems a little less perfect, their condominium less safe, their friends, neighbors and relatives no longer quite so reliable . . .

Asylum Hotel by Juliet Blackwell

Author Interview with Juliet Blackwell

Aubrey Spencer loves photographing classic old buildings and abandoned places that hold old secrets. The Hotel Seabrink, perched overlooking the sea, is one such place. Currently abandoned but scheduled for a major renovation, it has a torrid history. Back in the 1920s it hosted A-list celebrity clientele, and now the locals insist it is haunted by the ghosts of two young women who died there. When Aubrey goes to photograph the site before the renovation begins, she bumps into a man named Dimitri Petroff, a minor online celebrity who shares her fascination with old buildings, the Hotel Seabrink in particular.

When he is found dead the next day at the base of a cliff, the police are quick to close the investigation. But Aubrey feels unsettled by locals who claim he was murdered and that it’s not the first time someone interested in the hotel was killed. As she digs deeper into the property’s dark history (and its origins as an asylum) as well as Dimitri’s professional rivalries, she becomes mired in an unsolved murder case from several decades earlier, one with eerie parallels to the contemporary case. But someone is determined to keep her from discovering the truth—at any cost.

The Deepest Fake by Daniel Kalla

Liam Hirsch has it all—a loving family, a thriving career as CEO of an AI company, financial security, and a bright future. But when he’s diagnosed with a terminal illness, just weeks after discovering his wife’s infidelity, his perfect life unravels. As he grapples with his fate, he prepares to face his final days on his own terms.

However, unexplained events inside his company make him question everything—including his diagnosis. In a world of deepfake videos, synthetic voices, and digital deception, couldn’t these technologies be weaponized against him? What if nothing is as it seems?

With time running out, Liam turns to Andrea DeWalt, a private investigator contending with her own feelings of betrayal, to help him uncover a conspiracy that threatens his life, his family, and their future. In a world where nothing is as it seems and every digital footprint can be manipulated, who can Liam trust?

Icing on the Murder by Valerie Burns

Bookish Buys: Icing on the Murder

From Agatha and Edgar Award nominated author Valerie Burns, influencer-turned-bakery-owner Maddy Montgomery has sold plenty of wedding cakes before, but before she turns one out for her and her fiancé’s wedding, she’ll have to solve a little case of murder first…

Aunt Octavia would be so proud! Maddy has turned Baby Cakes Bakery—named for her 250-pound English Mastiff, Baby—into a runaway success, and she’s marrying the love of her life, veterinarian Michael Portman. #DreamWedding! Plus the timing couldn’t be better: the country’s biggest bridal expo has come to New Bison, Michigan, and Maddy has secured a spot for Baby Cakes to showcase their cakes. She’s also entered a contest for an all-expenses-paid wedding extravaganza offered by world-renowned wedding planner Serafina.

Unfortunately, supremely nasty Serafina truly takes the cake—she makes the worst bridezilla seem like a shy flower girl. But there’s one thing the wedding planner didn’t plan on—being impaled by one of the skewers Baby Cakes uses on their tiered wedding cakes.

While Maid of Honor Sheriff April Johnson rounds up suspects at the expo, Maddy and her aunt’s friends, the Baker Street Irregulars, and even Baby join forces to unveil a killer hiding in plain sight . . . before wedding bells start to chime.

Likeness by Samsun Knight

On a summer evening in the 1990s, Anne learns that one of her husband’s lovers is expecting, not long after learning that she too is pregnant. He tells her casually in a fairy tale like way, as if it’s just another colorful story about his day. And the tenuous understanding between them—the careful balance of privacy and flexibility that has sustained their open relationship to date—is shattered.
Meanwhile, Sandy, the lover, works to find her own path forward through her surprise pregnancy and all the million tiny miracles and catastrophes that she now has to navigate, often entirely on her own. Searching through diaries and grocery lists and seances with the dead, Sandy tries to remember just enough of her original sense of direction to make her own way home.

Soulmatch by Rebecca Danzenbaker

In a world where past lives determine your future, a sharp-witted girl confronts a major twist of destiny, embroiling her in a high-stakes game of danger, corruption, and heartbreak in this young adult speculative romance perfect for fans of Scythe and Matched.

Two hundred years after World War III, the world is at peace, all thanks to the soul-identification system. Every eighteen-year-old must report to the government to learn about their past lives, a terrifying process known as kirling. Good souls leave the institute with their inheritance, a career path, and if they’re lucky, a soulmate. Bad souls leave in handcuffs.

It’s a nerve-wracking ordeal for Sivon, who, given her uncanny ability to win every chess match, already suspects her soul isn’t normal. Turns out, she was right to worry. Sivon’s results stun not only her, but the entire world, making her the object of public scrutiny and anonymous threats.

Saddled with an infuriating and off-limits bodyguard, Sivon is thrust into a high-stakes game where souls are pawns and rules don’t exist. As deaths mount, Sivon must decipher friend from foe while protecting her heart against impossible odds. One wrong move could destroy the future lives of everyone Sivon loves, and she can’t let that happen, even if they’ll never love her back.

Wrath of the Dragons by Olivia Rose Darling

In the explosive sequel to the bestselling romantasy Fear the Flames, two fated lovers must unite against warring kingdoms to defend their home and crowns from those who wish to destroy them.

Cayden Veles, renowned Demon Commander of Vareveth, overthrew the throne to save Elowen Atarah, the woman he searched for since childhood. Now he’s determined to fulfill his quest for revenge against her father, even if it means forcing the only person he’s ever wanted into a marriage of political convenience.

Elowen Atarah has everything she thought she’d ever want. Finally reunited with her dragons, she now has an army to enact vengeance, but as events transpire, she begins contemplating if she wants more. As her father’s only living heir, the Imirath throne is her right and destiny. But fighting and winning a war will require trusting Cayden Veles, her partner in crime and now king to her queen; the man she both longs for and doubts, especially after opening her heart only to become a pawn in his game.

Navigating the shifting allegiances amongst all the kingdoms of Ravaryn will require all their strategy and strength, with devastating and bloody attacks on one side and cutthroat diplomacy for alliances on the other. But Elowen and Cayden must find a way to stand strong within the power they’ve gained, or risk losing everything.

Delving deeper into a vast and ever-changing world, Wrath of the Dragons will take you on a journey filled with epic battles and a tender, angsty love for the ages.

The Game is Murder by Hazell Ward

In this fresh and immersive murder mystery that riffs on crime classics, the reader is put in the role of the Great Detective, reinvestigating an infamous never-before-solved case from 1970s England.

You are invited to a very special murder mystery party. The game is simple: Listen to the witnesses. Examine the evidence. Solve the case. Be careful. Trust no one. All might not be as it seems.

If you agree to play the role of the Great Detective, you must undertake to provide a complete solution to the case. A verdict is not enough. We need to know who did it, how they did it, and why. Are you ready? Can you solve the ultimate murder mystery—and catch a killer?

A word of warning: Unsolved mysteries are not permitted. . . .

Robert Ludlum's The Bourne Escape by Brian Freeman

The death of a lover plunges Bourne into a maelstrom of violence and deceit in this latest installment in the #1 New York Times bestselling series.

Jason Bourne is on a boat in the Mediterranean moonlight with his lover, Johanna. He’s happy for the first time in years. Then in the next instant, he finds himself floating on wreckage as fire and smoke choke the sky. Johanna is gone. And Bourne finds the darkness of lost memory closing around his mind again.

As he did once before, Bourne must piece together the fragments of who he is, even as assassins hunt him across Europe. He teams up with his spy chief, Shadow, who reveals the shocking secret that Bourne’s surrogate father – David Abbott, the founder of Treadstone – is alive and missing. Together they must find Abbott before his enemies do.

But Shadow is a master of manipulation who won’t hesitate to betray Bourne to get what she wants. With his memory returning in bits and pieces, Jason discovers that the explosion that stole away his identity is part of a deadly game being played among powerful adversaries from Moscow to Washington. It’s a game with no winners – because even if he finds David Abbott, Bourne may still find himself with no way out and everything to lose.

Crude by Mike Bond

Nuclear war is coming.
Can we stop it?
Or is it already too late?

On an October night, far out in the South China Sea, a diver sets explosive charges under a huge oil platform. On the platform above, geologist Liz Chaplin stands watching the Southern Cross sink beneath the waves.

In New York, Ross Bullock, the CEO of Rawhide Energy and the platform’s owner, states during a televised press conference that our country has made a fatal mistake in Ukraine and is headed for nuclear war.

Immediately the White House, intelligence agencies, the media and financial world attack Rawhide for raising the specter of nuclear war and thus threatening the president’s reelection.

The action expands to Mongolia, Indonesia, Washington D.C., and Ukraine. The true perpetrator of these crimes becomes known – it is impossible, unbelievable, but true. Is the White House behind it?

The president threatens nuclear war with Russia to distract voters from his fraudulent Ukraine and China deals and worsening polls. The Russians respond by increasing their nuclear readiness. But the president alone can decide to launch a nuclear war as he clings to the nuclear button.

So begins CRUDE, Mike Bond’s new super-thriller that takes us to the door of world annihilation and shows us what’s inside.

Gone To Ground by Morgan Hatch

Two brothers from the streets LA get caught in the crosshairs of a hedge fund fixer with a cataclysmic vision of urban renewal.

Last Seen by J.T. Ellison

From New York Times bestselling author J.T. Ellison comes a twisted psychological thriller about the bonds of family and the disconnect between memory and the truth.

Come here. Come closer.

Halley James knows her marriage is over. But she’s not prepared for the rest of her life to fall apart too.

No one can hear you. No one can help you.

She just lost her job at the forensics lab. Her dad needs emergency surgery. But the biggest blow comes back home in Marchburg, Virginia, where she discovers her mother didn’t actually die in a car crash. Her mom was murdered―and her father lied about it all these years.

I have nothing to hide from you. Are you hiding something from me?

Since she was six years old, it’s been Halley and her dad. Now, she doesn’t know what to believe. Desperate for the truth, Halley chases down a lead in Brockville, Tennessee. But all there is not as it seems. Brockville’s utopian charm hides a chilling darkness. And Halley’s search for answers threatens to expose an unspeakable reality.

The Housewarming by Kristin Offiler

In a haunting novel of psychological suspense, a summer getaway gone wrong rips apart a group of lifelong friends, thrusting their story into the true crime spotlight—and potentially their secrets, too. For five friends vacationing on Block Island, it’s a summer to remember. How can they forget it when only four make it back to the mainland? One vanishes without a trace. A friendship is changed forever. Five years after Zoe Gilbert’s disappearance, Callie Sutter invites her estranged friends to reunite on the anniversary of the mystery that tore them apart. Back on Block Island, they can come together again, memorialize Zoe, allay old resentments and recriminations, and put the past to rest. It won’t be easy. A true crime podcaster is most eager for the reunion. She’s made a name for herself by casting suspicion on Zoe’s friends, and threatens to expose them all as cold-blooded liars and conspirators in a crime. Driven by self-preservation, Callie and her friends must reckon with their long-held secrets and shared history if they’re to find out what really happened to Zoe on that hot August day. No one is prepared for the truth.

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