July 2025 list by Donalee Jacobs |
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The Accidental Favorite
by Fran Littlewood
Vivienne and Patrick Fisher have done an excellent job raising their three daughters. So it's with great anticipation that three generations of Fishers gather at a beautiful glass house in the English countryside for a weeklong celebration of Vivienne's seventieth birthday. But when Patrick's reaction to a freak accident inadvertently reveals that he has a favorite daughter, no one is prepared for the shockwaves it sends through the family. Decades-old sibling rivalries are unmasked and no one's secrets are safe. Still-tender wounds are reopened amid an audience of friends, husbands, grandchildren, and even coworkers, and as the family's past is re-written, they find themselves unmoored.
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Among Friends
by Hal Ebbott
At a New York country house where two deeply intertwined families have gathered to mark the host's fifty-second birthday, envy and resentment erupt into an unspeakable act; accusations, denials, and shattered illusions follow, driving wedges between friends, spouses, children, and parents.
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Before Dorothy
by Hazel Gaynor
1932: Emily and Henry have made a life in the warmth of the community of Liberal, Kansas, and among the harsh beauty of the prairie. Their lives hold a precarious and hopeful purpose, until tragedy strikes and their orphaned niece, Dorothy, lands on their doorstep. The wide-eyed child isn't the only thing to disrupt Emily's world. Drought and devastating dust storms threaten to destroy everything, and their much-loved home becomes a place of uncertainty and danger. When the past catches up with the present and old secrets are exposed, Emily fears she will lose the most cherished thing of all: Dorothy.
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Bug Hollow
by Michelle Huneven
Sally's brother Ellis goes missing after high school but turns up at Bug Hollow, where a freak accident kills him weeks later; mother and father Sybil and Phil and sisters Katie and Sally each seek their own solace, and after his pregnant girlfriend comes to their door, Sally cares for Ellis's child Eva. Michelle Huneven captures the Samuelson clan with glorious precision and the deepest empathy as they fracture and rebuild again and again.
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The Compound
by Aisling Rawle
Lily, a disillusioned young woman, competes in a high-stakes reality show on a desert compound where personal bonds, hidden desperation, and escalating challenges blur the lines between game strategy and survival amidst a crumbling outside world.
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Cosmic Love at the Multiverse Hair Salon
by Annie Mare
Tressa Fay Robeson has made a name for herself as a hairstylist and social media star. When a text from a stranger leads to a flirty exchange, she surprises herself by suggesting a meetup. But the woman, Meryl, never shows. Tressa Fay brushes it off--until Meryl's sister and friend show up at the salon demanding to know what's going on. Because Meryl has been missing for a month. Tressa Fay and her friends soon discover they are living in a parallel universe. But even as they begin to understand the multiverse and it draws closer to the moment of Meryl's disappearance, there's only one question left: Have they done enough to change the outcome, or have they done so much that none of them will make it past that fateful day in September?
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The Dallergut Dream-Making District
by Miye Lee
In this bestselling follow-up to The Dallergut Dream Department Store, Penny and her crew of coworkers must visit a special dream-making district to unlock new secrets about the customers they lost and hope to bring back. Delving deeper into the dream industry and its customers, The Dallergut Dream-Making District braves a new land in search of answers: Why do some customers buy a dream and never return? Will Penny and her colleagues be able to bring their regulars back?
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Don't Let Him In
by Lisa Jewell
When charming Nick Radcliffe enters Nina's life, her daughter Ash grows suspicious, uncovering unsettling secrets that connect them to Martha, a florist with a husband who keeps disappearing, leading all three women toward a chilling truth they never expected.
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Don't Open Your Eyes
by Liv Constantine
Annabelle Reynolds has everything she’s ever wanted. A devoted husband, two wonderful daughters, and a career she loves. She couldn’t be happier. So why is she suddenly plagued by disturbing dreams of a future where she hates her husband and her daughters’ lives are at risk? At first, she chalks the dreams up to an overactive imagination. But when details from her dreams, details she couldn’t possibly have predicted, begin to materialize, she realizes these aren’t just dreams but rather premonitions of a terrifying future. They all point to a singular choice, an unknown moment that holds Annabelle’s life in the balance.
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El Dorado Drive
by Megan Abbott
When Harper moves in with her sister Pam, she's surprised to find Pam doing so well financially after her messy divorce. After all, Pam's ex-husband wiped their bank accounts, even stole from their kids. But Pam managed to find her way back. Thanks to the Wheel. Twice a month, the women of the Wheel meet. New members bring cash to the party that is pooled together and then gifted to one lucky member. It's all about giving back. Lifting each other up. As women should. As they must. But when Harper is invited, with the promise of an end to her financial burdens, the sisters inadvertently unleash a darkness lurking within the group. If they're not careful, it might just get them killed.
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A Far Better Thing
by H. G. Parry
The faeries stole Sydney Carton as a child, and made him a mortal servant of the Faery Realm. Now, he has a rare opportunity for revenge against the fae and Charles Darnay, the changeling left in his stead. It will take magic and cunning—cold iron and Realm silver—to hide his intentions from humans and fae and bring his plans to fruition. Shuttling between London and Paris during the Reign of Terror, generations of violence-begetting-violence lead him to a heartbreaking choice in the shadow of the guillotine.
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Happy Wife
by Meredith Lavender
Nora's whirlwind romance and marriage to wealthy lawyer Will in exclusive Winter Park, Florida takes a dark turn when he vanishes the morning after his birthday party, leaving Nora to unravel the mystery of his disappearance.
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I Did Warn Her
by Sian Gilbert
The Ophelia is a typical billionaire yacht: luxurious, owned by a ruthless money man, and staffed by a crew whose only job is to indulge the guests' every wish. The Ophelia's stewardesses are almost identical—blonde and model-gorgeous—and all were lured to the Ophelia by high wages and a chance to leave their problems behind. But the Ophelia isn't all it seems. A stewardess on the previous charter died mysteriously and the guests' jewelry keeps disappearing. When a crew member turns up dead after a night of partying, everyone on the yacht is a suspect. Who is the jewel thief? Who is the murderer? What will happen when the lights go out, and the crew and the guests are finally on equal footing?
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If I Told You, I'd Have to Kiss You
by Mae Marvel
Yardley Whitmer has honed her spy craft and become an instant legend in the field. But living a full-time cover story has slowly eroded her relationship until there's nothing left but lies. KC Nolan, hacker extraordinaire, can crack any code--except the one that would tell her when to confess her secret job to Yardley. When an undercover shakedown goes wrong, Yardley and KC discover the unbelievable truth--that they've both been working at the agency for years. To salvage the mission, they partner up, fly across oceans, and race through winding European streets. But can they throw away their rules and fight through their secrets to fall in love with each other's true selves?
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King of Ashes
by S. A. Cosby
When Roman Carruthers is summoned home after his father's car accident, he finds his brother, Dante, in debt to criminals and his sister, Neveah, exhausted from holding the family—and the family business—together. Neveah and their father, who run the Carruthers Crematorium in the Virginia town of Jefferson Run, see death up close every day. But mortality draws even closer when it becomes clear the crash that landed their father in a coma was no accident and Dante has placed them all in danger. So Roman starts working for the criminals to clear the debt, while Neveah tries to uncover the mystery of what happened to their mother. Turns out Roman is willing to do anything to save his family. Anything.
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Legends of Gold
by Mary Connealy
Tilda Muirhead's life takes an unexpected twist when she accepts a teaching position at Two Harts Ranch following her cross-country pursuit of two brothers obsessed with a treasure map left by their grandfather. Tilda is now tasked with educating those MacKenzie boys, who are bent on remaining out west until they find the hoped-for treasure. Then a man named Ben arrives, claiming to be her own long-lost brother. When Ben's motives grow increasingly suspect, rancher Josh Hart suggests Tilda and the boys set off on a quest to protect Tilda while unearthing the map's secrets. Yet danger looms ever closer, and Tilda and Josh must rely on faith and their blossoming love to navigate the treacherous path ahead.
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A Murder for Miss Hortense
by Mel Pennant
Miss Hortense has lived in a quiet suburb of Birmingham, England, since emigrating from Jamaica in 1960. She takes great pride in her home and her career in nursing. Miss Hortense once used her skills to benefit the Pardner network--a local group of Black investors--until she was ousted from its ranks, severing her ties to her friends and community. That was thirty years ago. Now, a man has been found dead in the home of one of the Pardner members. Miss Hortense finds her long-buried past rushing back, bringing memories of the worst moment of her life--and secrets behind an unsolved crime that has haunted her for decades. It is finally time for Miss Hortense to solve a mystery that will see her and the community she loves pushed to their limits.
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A Rare Find
by Joanna Lowell
When an aspiring archaeologist teams up with her childhood enemy for a treasure hunt, they find it impossible to bury their growing feelings, in a charming queer historical romance from the author of A Shore Thing.
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The Second Chance Convenience Store
by Kim Ho-Yeon
In this million-copy international bestseller from Korea, the owner of a corner store takes in an unhoused man who does a good deed, a kind soul whose presence will transform the whole neighborhood. This heartwarming tale of community and redemption is reminiscent of the bestselling novels of Matt Haig and Gabrielle Zevin.
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So Far Gone
by Jess Walter
Years ago at Thanksgiving dinner, Rhys Kinnick snapped after a fight and punched his son-in-law. Horrified by what he'd done, by the state of the country, and by his spiraling mental health, Rhys fled for a cabin in the woods, living off grid and alone. Now, seven years later, Kinnick's old life is about to land right back on his crumbling doorstep. Can this failed husband and father reemerge into a broken world to track down his missing daughter and save his kidnapped grandchildren? With the help of his caustic ex-girlfriend, a bipolar retired detective, and his only friend, Kinnick heads off on a madcap journey through the rubble of a life he thought he'd left behind.
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The Stolen Life of Colette Marceau
by Kristin Harmel
During WWII, Annabel and her daughter Colette worked stealing jewels to fund the French Resistance. But one night in 1942, Annabel was arrested by the Germans, and Colette's sister, Liliane, disappeared in the chaos, along with a diamond bracelet. Soon after, Annabel was executed, and Liliane's body was found floating in the Seine—but the bracelet was nowhere to be found. Seventy years later, Colette's life begins to unravel when the bracelet turns up in Boston. If Colette can discover where it has been—and who owns it—she may finally learn what happened to her sister. But when someone from her childhood lays claim to the diamonds, she's forced to confront the ghosts of her past as never before.
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Sunset
by Sharon Sala
Retired bull rider Sonny Bluejacket, after surviving near-fatal rodeo injuries and inheriting a horse ranch in Crossroads, West Texas, finds unexpected romance with Maggie Brennen--a waitress with a hidden artistic talent--while facing challenges from a disruptive father.
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A Terribly Nasty Business
by Julia Seales
Beatrice Steele settles with chaperone Miss Bolton in the London neighborhood of Sweetbriar and opens D.S. Investigations with Inspector Drake, yet they lose all serious cases to her former crush Sir Huxley—until multiple murders thrust them into a scandal pitting the wealthiest residents against the arts community.
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When Javi Dumped Mari
by Mia Sosa
Best friends Javier Baez and Marisol Campos swore never to date someone the other doesn't approve of. Now, ten years later, Javi has a problem. Mari is engaged, and Javi didn't even get the chance to vet the man she plans to marry. Mari, a successful entertainment lawyer in Los Angeles, is no longer seeking Javi's dating advice or waiting for him to declare his love for her. Instead, she's vowing to build a future with someone else. With his life and theater career finally on track, Javi's ready to confess his feelings. Javi has just eight weeks to convince Mari this marriage is a flop. After all, isn't that what best friends are for?
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When Sleeping Women Wake
by Emma Pei Yin
Amidst the Japanese occupation of Hong Kong, three women—Mingzhu, Qiang, and Biyu—must navigate their roles in a war-torn world, balancing survival, resistance, and their bond as their paths diverge, with the hope of reuniting in the face of relentless danger.
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Where Secrets Lie
by Colleen Coble
College professor Savannah Webster is ready to give her ex-husband, Hez, another chance, and she believes he's finally ready for them to face their many past trials as a team. But when Savannah finds evidence of Hez's old demons resurfacing, the fragile trust they've built begins to crumble. And it's not just their relationship that hanging in the balance—the survival of the university Savannah's family poured their lives into is also under threat. Will a crumbling university, stolen artifacts, deep family secrets, and deadly ambitions all stand in the way of a second chance at happiness.
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Winging it With You
by Chip Pons
When Asher Bennett is dumped at the airport ahead of the world-wide travel competition reality show, The Epic Trek, he becomes determined to find a new partner for the show. Pilot Theo Fernandez has been grounded due to his poor work-life balance. As he struggles with his new downtime, he stumbles upon the perfect opportunity. The handsome guy at his favorite airport terminal eatery has a sudden opening for a partner . . . on a nationally televised reality show. Theo and Asher buckle up to fake date for the cameras, but as they do, the undercurrents of attraction make them wonder if their on-screen chemistry hints at something bigger. Do they have the courage to leave behind their baggage for another chance at love?
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