Beach read season is finally upon us! As record-breaking heat waves take hold across the world and even the force of 1,000 fans can’t seem to keep you cool, there’s nothing like a good read to keep your mind off it.
Readers looking for blush-worthy books have a lot to look forward to this month. Robinne Lee — author of viral The Idea of You and aka the “Patron Saint of Horny Moms” — has returned, this time with a sapphic romance that’s as complex as it is sensual. Jessica Knoll, the NYT-best-selling author behind Luckiest Girl Alive and Bright Young Women, is also back with a twisty erotic thriller.
Fans of literary fiction also have a slate of fresh reads to dig into. Inspired by her experience profiling adult actress Stormy Daniels for Vogue, veteran journalist Amy Chozick’s debut novel follows a new mother into the world of sex work. Meanwhile, Nadia Hashimi’s latest gives voice to the women fighting for freedom in Afghanistan.
For days spent on the beach, on park benches, or just in your air-conditioned apartment, here are Bustle’s best books of July.
Helpless by Jessica Knoll
Out July 7. Twelve years after screenwriter and actress Faye Heron ended a turbulent relationship with Henry Spalding, the two reconnect at a beloved professor’s funeral. But when the reunion leads to Faye finding herself drugged and kidnapped in a cabin in the Adirondacks, the two fall into their old dynamic of passion and control.
The Final Score by Lana Ferguson
Out July 7. When grad student Abigail Thompson is kicked out of her housing on short notice, she resorts to her least ideal scenario: moving into the spare room of her half-brother’s best friend, Jack Baker. A cocky, flirty hockey star, he’s the exact kind of guy she’s sworn off dating. But as the two settle into the day-to-day rhythm of living together, the ice between them slowly starts to melt into something much hotter.
The Love Producer by Julie LaPlaca
Out July 7. As a producer on The Bachelor, Julie LaPlaca spent her career crafting America’s favorite love stories. Behind the scenes, though, her romantic life was unraveling. When rumors that she’d been romantically involved with Bachelor contestant Peter Weber began to swirl, she found herself thrust in the spotlight in ways she’d never imagined.
Crash Into Me by Robinne Lee
Out July 7. Twenty years after she first encountered Anouk Ferrand on a photo shoot in Mexico, Cecilia Chen is struggling to navigate her marriage and identity as a mother. When a car accident brings Anouk back into her life, the two are drawn back into the same powerful attraction they shared long ago. With memories flooding back, Cecilia gets a chance to discover if this connection can finally set her free.
Hot Girl Murder Club by Ashley Winstead
Out July 14. In the decade since her sister Georgia was killed, Scout Sage has finally made a name for herself in L.A. as a mid-tier pop star. However, her new life among the stiletto-clad hot girls of Hollywood is interrupted when she becomes the prime suspect in a series of murders. To prove her innocence, Scout has to finally untangle what really happened to her sister.
The Parisian Heist by Jo Piazza
Out July 14. Struggling American artist Emma cleans houses for the wealthy elite of Paris, including Stella Swanson, the widow of a famous art dealer with a shadowy past. As the two grow closer, Emma becomes a key component in the Swansons’ plans to cover up their art crimes. Meanwhile, in a timeline set in the late 1800s, recent widow Jo van Gogh has just inherited her brother-in-law Vincent’s paintings, then considered worthless. As Emma uncovers the Swanson family secrets, the two stories merge into one high-stakes heist at the Musée d’Orsay.
Famous Men by Julie Buntin
Out July 14. Will Miles doesn’t belong in her hometown of Greening, Michigan: She’s been ostracized at school, and tension with her mother is high. But when she discovers the poems of an older Greening native, Nathaniel Fellow, she feels an inexplicable connection. Convinced Nathaniel may be her father, she follows his footsteps to New York City on a trip that changes everything she’s ever known about herself.
With Friends Like You by Amy Chozick
Out July 21. Adrift in her life as a new mother, Emily fixates on tracking down her old college roommate Daisy, who disappeared after taking a job at a strip club. The hunt plunges Emily headfirst into a new world of porn, secrets, and an escort service for billionaires. When Daisy resurfaces out of nowhere, their reunion is joyous and affirming. But can it last forever?
City of Widows by Nadia Hashimi
Out July 28. In the 20 years that the United States occupied Afghanistan, a generation of women were able to attend school, work, and serve in the army before the Taliban regained control in 2021. The novel follows three women on intersecting paths: Marjan, a former Afghan soldier who fled her marriage to a warlord as she fights to protect her daughter; Soraya, a former military leader wanted by the Taliban; and Mina, a TV broadcaster reporting from Kabul. Through their interwoven stories, Hashimi gives voice to Afghanistan’s women as they fight against their new regime.
Double Standard by Mallory Thomas
Out July 28. Actress Ana Barlow has finally landed the leading role in a Greek-god epic film. But when a scandal with a married costar threatens the career she’s built, she resolves to fake-date his stunt double Levi Stephens to cover it up. Levi, for his part, is willing to do whatever it takes for the movie to succeed — even if it means keeping his true feelings at bay.
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